Hello! I hope you have been very well since I last wrote – risking daily and enjoying the holiday season!

As I was writing the article for my next newsletter, which will go out sometime in January, I was thinking about the value of slowing down.  Maybe it has something to do with being here at the farm, during the last remaining days of 2008 and the first few of 2009.  Nothing here can be rushed – not the sapling pines, the stunning sunsets, or the decay of the original barn. (Check back later for pictures of these…)

This is so different from my life back in Atlanta. It seems, at least, that there is very little I do while there that is not rushed, or at least timed. And for me, there is a sometimes icky feeling that goes with that fact, a feeling that is either the cause or  the effect (or both) of rushing around, trying to get it all done.  And that feeling is one of “not enough-ness.”  What if I don’t get it all done? Without continuing to work into the night, how will I pay the bills? If I stop, or even just slow down, does that mean I am lazy and irresponsible?  What will other people think of me if they catch me resting? How can I allow myself any fun until I’ve eliminated The List?

Does any of this sound familiar? Or, is your situation different? Do you somehow manage to get it all done, but at a very high price? Either way, what I want for us all is relief! And the question is not how we spell that relief, but how we GET it!  I think the very wise and witty Lily Tomlin was on the right track when she said, “For fast acting relief, try slowing down.”

So that’s my challenge to all of us today, as we step out of this year into a shiny new one, full of hope and dreams and plans of accomplishing much. Whether you take Lily’s advice, mine, or that of Mother Nature, I suggest you stop rushing around for a change, trying to get it all done, and try slowing down for some fast-acting relief. Take the risk of feeling uncomfortable and wondering if you’re “not enough”, and then see what’s on the other side.  Aren’t you the least bit curious?  I know I am!

So don’t forget, you’re not alone – I’ll be doing this, too.  Let me know how it goes!

For more on this very topic, read my newsletter when it comes.  What?  You haven’t subscribed? I f you’d like, just drop me a line and I’ll get you on the list, lickety-split!

And happy 2009, y’all!

Laura Biering has an infectious zeal for coaching people who want to do enlivening work and live inspired lives. She's fired up about the power of taking risks - great and small - and the rewards that come as a result. She's also passionate about (1) creativity and authenticity and their potential to change the world, (2) frolicking with her adorable four-legged children, and (3) retreating with those she loves at her farm in Southeast Georgia, Brinson's Race. Visit her website at True Voices.
Email this author | All posts by Laura Biering