Slow Down, You Move Too Fast... - Dominique Hurley

Were you kicked off the hamster wheel when COVID-19 hit? After the initial shock, many started appreciating the slower pace and simpler lifestyle. Their awareness and gratitude were heightened because of the drastic change in routine & freedoms.

Have old habits kicked back in? Have you been cramming your schedule again?

A few weeks back, I signed up for too many online summits, courses and webinars on top of all the work I had scheduled. I may not have had to run all over town stuck in traffic jams, but I was jumping from one end of the world to another glued to the computer.

If you’re like me, you’ve come to appreciate an uncluttered schedule to follow your intuitive flow.

That’s why I decided to take a slow walk to work instead of borrowing my housesiter’s car to get there just in time.

I cleared my schedule to take 2.5 hours to walk to Bowring Park a few blocks away, so that I could play before teaching my in-person photo session with my francophone students. As you’ll see in the 4.5-minute video above, I thoroughly enjoyed my slow stroll there.

Simon & Garfunkel had it right with their song “Feelin’ Groovy”

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy
Ba da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy

*

Hello lamppost, what’cha knowing
I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’
Ain’t you got no rhymes for me?
Doo-ait-n-doo-doo, feeling groovy
Ba da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy …

I’m guessing the fact there’s a couple of lampposts in this video isn’t a coincidence. They likely triggered my subconscious to remember this song, as I found myself singing it while creating the video.

I also trust it’s a message you may have needed. May the reminders life is offering me also serve you well.

Another lesson from this day was the importance of letting go of what others think.

At one point, a ray of sunshine lit up leaves by a creek that I could barely see through the thick brush. The spot of light, however, called my attention. To photograph it, I had to crouch under the bushes with my butt sticking up next to the path. I felt a little vulnerable & self-conscious, but I wasn’t going to pass up this magic light moment.

Following your flow sometimes means not minding what others think.

Enjoy this 4.5-minute stroll with me in the video above.

Which is your favourite part? If you’re into swans like me, my painting “Call to Swana Grace” is still looking for a home this holiday season. See all my available originals here.

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