Life’s A Book… Let's live more than once.

Life’s A Book… Let's live more than once. 

I am 81 reaching soon 82. What could be 'the' theme, an important one in my life now? 

It is to 'Deal With The Fastness Of Life'

Investing money, there’s enough I have done.

Since a thought pop up again and again and again, the phrase started popping up in my head. Not just when considering investments, but all the time. As it turns out, moving slower is a great philosophy in all walks of life. Isn't that so?

I had often been asked about how I remember the material for my college exams so quickly. I never wondered. I often try to memorize it just once, but properly. Most of my thoughts were for sure, clear. I could easily scroll through them, skim and highlight.

Now “How can I say a matter in one sentence?” and then create a 20-page summary. It takes a week to complete, but when I have done, I have already read, filtered, written, and memorized most of what I need to know and remember.  It’s not pretty difficult, and it works.

Let's 'Move slower'.

Just like at work, most of our food culture, often and especially these days, is designed to be fast. Come fast, eat fast food, proceed fast.

Now, let's try this: "Take a bite, then lay our hands flat on the table. We’ll instantly chew slower. It gives us time to think about what we’ve eaten, enjoy how it tastes, and we’ll need less to feel full. 

Let's 'Move slower'.

Washing utensils in the kitchen. Some friends use to make fun of me because I like doing the dishes. They think it’s a mundane, mindless activity. To me it’s the exact opposite. 

There’s a famous Zen story about it:

A monk told Joshu: “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”

Joshu asked: “Have you eaten your rice porridge?”

The monk replied: “I have eaten.”

Joshu said: “Then you had better wash your bowl.”

At that moment the monk was enlightened.

After you’ve eaten, cleaning up is the next step. If you let it be, it can be a meditative, restorative practice. Just like any physical next step. Let me rinse and swirl as long as I need to. There’s no need to rush. Let life flow for a few minutes. 

Let's 'Move slower'.

Gut decisions often twist the stomach.

When we’re young, we used to quickly jump into relationships of all kinds, righ? The first person we sat down next to in high school, the first coworker we went to lunch with, the first hotel visit with spouse after the wedding. As we get older we realize how scarce and valuable our time is, but, true that habit is hard to shake. There’s nothing wrong with commitment, but we don’t have to commit to anyone or anything on the spot. 

Let's 'Move slower'.

For most fortunes that last, we’ll find the money has piled up with similarly declining velocity. Even if we get rich really fast, there’s no way to ‘stay rich easily’ for ever. Generally, delaying financial decisions often makes them obsolete or at least their conditions a lot more favorable.

Let's 'Move slower'.

If our TV breaks down and we must wait until when to buy a new one. We might realize by then we don’t need one at all. Instead of a mortgage today, get a raise in 6 months. When the market dips, wait to see if it dips some more. Move slower.

Remember how "The Tortoise Beat The Hare"! This is what "Moving Slow" is about. Taking the time to think, make good choices, and then give fortune the time it needs to support them. The hare lost against the tortoise not because it expended too little effort, or because it took a break, but because it stopped moving altogether.

Let's 'Move slower'.

The one thing 'Move slower' is not, however, an excuse to postpone choices indefinitely. Let's make decisions deliberately, but once we make each one, let's do it with our whole heart and soul.

Let's "Move Slower", but keep moving.

Life’s A Book…

…but only readers and thinkers live more than once.