A Taylor-Made Life: Taking time to slow down

Another year older. Another year (supposedly) wiser.

I hit the big 3-1 last week and have been ushering in this new age surrounded by the love of family and friends. The older you get, the more you realize that this is all that matters.

Year 30 had some very memorable moments. If I had to pick one word to describe the year, it would be “change.”

Change, in any form, can be quite scary. It’s off-putting not knowing what to expect when something static shifts.

But without change, things would be just that – static. And that’s not a very exciting way to go through life.

To challenge oneself is often done through change. In fact, the word “change” book ends the word “challenge.”

And to continue growing as a person, you have to be open to new challenges. That can come in the form of a new job, new hobby, learning something new or traveling to new places.

This year, I’m challenging myself to slow down. This challenge is starting with how I use my phone.

Whenever I see a text or email pop up on my phone, I feel compelled to answer immediately, even if it’s not the most convenient time for me. I do this under the guise “so I don’t forget,” but ultimately I think it comes from being a people pleaser.

What I’m trying to do instead is give these messages and my responses more thought, and get to them when I’m not in the middle of something else.

It’s a small challenge, but one that could bring positive change to my life.

I’ve been thinking about this for the last few weeks, and the idea was symbolized on my birthday. Standing at the tall tables at Knack Brewing next to floor-to-ceiling windows, I looked out to the corner of Washington and Water to see a pair of geese in the street.

It’s no secret that geese are unbothered creatures, but there’s something to be learned from them in regard to going at your own pace.

Geese don’t speed up when a car is trying to get by. They don’t move or make themselves smaller in order to appease others.

Obviously this can be annoying as the driver, especially if you’re in a hurry, but it’s also neat to be forced to pause and watch this other species live life.

While I don’t plan to hiss at or chase people (without reason, anyway), I do plan to take after geese and work on slowing down a bit. The other side of the road will still be there.