Slow it down: what it means to take a breath

Today, I thought we might slow it down a little. For both of us really. To be transparent, I’ve been running a mile a minute to put out work that made me feel confident. To put out content that I could truly stand behind. Honestly speaking, we go through life so fast and often forget that even the mayhem is a part of our story.

Put it this way – as of this week, our individual communities are starting to open back up and I have no doubt that it’ll be much faster than we’ve anticipated.

I worry that the stillness we’ve began to embrace, will be lost in the mayhem. In spite of that, I encourage us to continue to find ways to slow down, regardless of a fast-paced tomorrow.

You’re allowed to take a break

Helpful Hack: slowing down is not exclusive to social isolation. Slowing down simply means, you give yourself the opportunity to soak in a moment. Life and all it entails, is simply a series of moments.

Do you remember when we last spoke?

We, ultimately, decided that it’s not a race. In fact, consider this your weekly reminder. If you are currently sprinting at top speed – that’s cool, do your thing. I was too. We’re allowed to go at top speed one day, and slow it all the way down the next. I, myself, am catching my second wind but before I do – I have some thoughts.

Fast or slow, there’s no telling who will make it to the end first – all we know is that we’ll get there. One day.

Some people spend their life’s entirety trying to figure out their purpose and it’s not for everyone. Defining a purpose can often feel incredibly overwhelming and misguided. With that being said, I’ve included mine in case it helps.

My purpose is to be.

To be brave.

To be compassionate.

To be curious.

To be resilient.

To be whatever and whomever I choose to be at any given moment.

My purpose, simply, is to be.

I mean, you can finish that sentence if you choose to but I, for the most part, choose against it.

Be kind to yourself, you deserve it

Fun little tidbit, I originally started writing through Instagram captions. Quite honestly, it’s the only reason I ever chose to post a picture. With this in mind, there’s a caption that I think rings true for today’s fresh perspective, so, we’re going to bring it back for another round. Here it goes:

Stop scrolling.

Here’s your reminder to take a second to breathe. To be grateful. To recognize that this moment, as you scroll mindlessly through content, is a part of your story.

So.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Take a second to slow it down. Live in gratitude. You are here, and loved, and worthy. You have purpose.

I need you to know that you add value on your best days and on your worst. Y O U are valuable. Not what you do. And it’s not by the labels you’ve used to define yourself but simply because you are you and you exist.

Fall in love with the moments to make the hardships of life become bearable. Life is hard, I get it. But, that’s what adds to its beauty and it’s what adds to yours.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Scroll on.

What does any of this even mean?

I hope you continue to challenge yourself to see life through fresh eyes and with a fresh perspective. I hope you are being kind to yourself.

Pushing yourself when you need to and slowing it all the way down when your intuition reminds you to.

Forget everything else I said and listen to this one thing: you don’t need someone else to tell you the answers, you have them. We’ve spent the past few weeks learning who we are in the silence, don’t shy away from it now. Trust that you know what you’re doing. Trust that you know what you need. For what it’s worth, I trust you – you’ve made it this far in life. Trust your inner voice.

Anyways. Cautiously yours and ever hopeful, B.