Is Slow Living the Key to a Fulfilling Life?

Are you one of such people who choose slow living or are you the fast-pacing ones? Yesterday there was none of this, but today these devices even remind you to breathe! Yes, this is an alarm for breathing. Don't you think it's funny? We breathe as much as we need to survive, but how many of us pay attention to it? As the saying goes, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you’re a ’90s kid, you might remember Fido Dido, the laid-back 7-Up mascot. In one iconic ad, Fido questioned our obsession with the rat race, asking why we work so hard for a peaceful retirement when we could live a more balanced and fulfilling life right now.

Growing in a professional environment, there were times that I also woke up wondering, what’s the purpose of this? waking up at 6, on my feet by 7, hurrying off to the office, inside the office until 7 in the evening, out of the office and onto the road by 9 with bouts of fodder in front of the TV and only to begin the whole monotonous journey again the next day: Need to eat. work. ZZZZ. WTH: Repeat again?

After many years of a corporate career, I took some time off to spend with my family and slowly work my way back in. That break lasted a couple of months, tops. Then FOMO kicked in. I wanted to work again, but the more time I was out of the workforce, the more I started to realize that maybe corporate life wasn't going to want me back. Now, at 45, I feel like I'm being left behind; as the corporate sees it - too difficult to "tame" for the grind of corporate life. I should say been there and done that, if we ever received a resume with age shown as 40+ my then boss would say, outright reject, “he will come with his baggage, we need new blood we can work on”

What next? Why not enjoy slow living - read more, go out in nature, meet people, make friends? And then, of course, there is that inevitable social circle question: What do you do for a living? And when you cannot answer, you avoid the question, and later, you avoid the people.

This is the paradox: when I didn't have time to sit and think, I did feel life slipping by; now I do have all the time in the world to sit and think and find life slipping by. So, what's the purpose of it all? After months of reflection, I think I've come to some sort of answer, though I'm not entirely sure.

Maybe life's real mission is not some high calling or climbing the career ladder but living in the present and loving those around us, enjoying the small things, and perhaps making that difference in someone's life. It may be terribly trite, but maybe that is so because it is one of those truths which we all pass by for more.

Perhaps deep down, we know this truth but are scared to utter it out loud, lest someone judges us for it. Life is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and it's these ups and downs that keep us moving. Maybe the real journey is to make your own road, go at your pace, and enjoy the process along the way.

What do you think? Is Slow Living the Key to a Fulfilling Life? Are we overcomplicating life in our search for purpose? Or is there something to be said for simply embracing the now?