This should be an inspiring journey together-fun to have support as we all navigate through our own pitfalls and enjoy our personal triumphs! I'll introduce myself later, but I just posted this on my blog, and thought it was sound advice for a more balanced, happy life so here it is!

Found this post in my inbox this morning and it spoke to me...

The Beauty of Living...Slowly

There is real beauty to taking life slowly. Sure, I’m a productive nut — I love checklists, getting lots of things done, and ending my day feeling like my energy was spent on something worthwhile. I don’t admire laziness. And it’s a lot of physical and emotional work to run a family and household, so very rarely do I enjoy the luxury of an afternoon with my feet propped up.

But there is a sweetness missed when we spend more time running errands than we do chatting with our neighbors, enjoying an impromptu lunch date with a friend, or watching our kids play at a park with newly-made “best friends.”

Here are a few ways we can all slow down today.

1. Instead of three Most Important Things on our list today, make it just one. Or none, even.

2. Forget the dishes in the sink, and say yes to our kids’ insistent request to play with them.

3. Call up a friend, and see if she’s up for bringing herself and her kids over to hang out for the afternoon.

4. Drag a chair out onto your front porch, watch your kids play in the yard, and see if you can strike up a conversation with a neighbor. Who knows, you may make a new friend.

5. Do something easy for dinner tonight — sandwiches or salad will work just fine. If it’s nice outside, make dinner a picnic.

Photo by Daniel Lobo

6. Call an old friend, just to say hi.

7. Turn up the music and dance in your living room with your children. My kids love this, and it takes 15 minutes.

8. Get out the crafts and work on a project that’s been on your list forever.

9. Go on a leisurely walk. Have no agenda.

10. Have an afternoon movie special with your kids after their naps or quiet times. Popcorn is optional but definitely a fun bonus.

11. Treat your kids to an unscheduled drive to a favorite local spot, such as a park, a museum, or a friend’s house.
Photo by Guilio Bernardi

12. Read a novel.

13. Do what you’d normally do with your kids — read books, sculpt play-doh, help with homework — but do it outside on a blanket.

Don’t stress too much about getting a lot done everyday. It’s something I have to remind myself near daily, but I’ve truly seen the value of a slow lifestyle from the different non-Western cultures where I’ve lived.

We sure like to be productive. But that’s not the only important thing in life.