Slowing down

Have you ever set a full moon intention? Admittedly, this was never on my radar, but over the last year, I've started a spiritual journey that has caused me to pay attention to certain bookmarks in time, like the full moon.

Without getting too deep into the purpose and ritual of full moon intentions (that is not my *intention* for this post), my takeaway from my own life right now is that I need to slow down.

My daily default setting is to operate at maximum speed and sometimes I can literally feel the wheels in my brain struggling to keep up. I try to multitask too often, I get distracted by anything and everything, and then to top it off, my idea of slowing down is scrolling on my phone. This is how I end up with an overwhelming number of screenshots, pins, and an ever-present nearly full brain storage setting. I've even recently caught myself checking email or social media at red lights. Ugh.

So much is missed and overlooked by rushing. Our minds and hearts desperately need stillness in a world that never stops going and never stops demanding. And then, the irony for me is that when I try to slow down, if I don't slow down fast enough, I am ready to move on.

Slowing down can feel impossible because it requires a degree of effort, which can feel counterintuitive. It's hard but worthwhile. Slowing down helps us be grateful for the small details that can be missed when we go too quickly. It helps us process what's simmering beneath the surface so that we can release what's weighing us down.

Slowing down also helps us reframe things through the lens of quiet contemplation, a perspective that is so easily ignored in our chaotic lives. While I'll always be working towards and thinking about the future, being anchored in this moment and season of my life is just as worthwhile and important.

While the full moon may not be your "bookmark in time", hopefully this will serve as encouragement for you to slow down and reflect on your own intentions. Being still is a gift...and a superpower.