SLOW: SIMPLE LIVING FOR A FRANTIC WORLD - BOOK REVIEW

 

 

 

Recently I came across a book authored by Brooke McAlary called Slow. Published in 2018 by Sourcebooks this 288 page book is about the philosophy of simple living, about finding the freedom to be less perfect, and taking time to enjoy the pure joys of life. A walk in the forest, enjoying the early morning sunrise, or gazing into the horizon as the sun melts into the sea, these are in the author’s prescription for a happy life! After being diagnosed with post-natal depression, Brooke McAlary learned about the power of minimalism and found that the key to happiness was a simpler, more fulfilling existence. She put the brakes on her stressful path and reorganized her life to live outside the status-quo and enjoy meaningful experiences. Brooke shares the story of her journey and offers practical advice for simplifying your life and make it truly enjoyable, far away from the rat race.

 

In Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World, you'll find:

·        Guidance for forming your own slow life

·        Ways to de-clutter and de-own

·        Tips to replace messiness with mindfulness

·        Paths forward to answer the question "Where to now?"

I have known this author from her previous book called ‘Destination Simple’ and so falling for this book was just simple.

 

The author inspires you to find happiness by stepping away from the never-ending demands to constantly succeed and acquire more and more. It's easy to get stuck in the carousel of frantically wanting, buying, and upgrading the things in your life. The book is essentially a re-evaluation of the largely unnecessary ‘must haves’ of modern life, and a focus on going small, local, and community based. The author says “When we let go of…stress, tension, clutter, excess, expectations, shoulds, obligations, judgements, ego, ownership, trying to please everyone, specific outcomes, total control, perfectionism, impossible standards, being everywhere, being everything to everyone…we gain lightness, clarity, space, time, energy, purpose, compassion, acceptance. We allow ourselves to move forward. And slowly, we discover that contentment and simplicity lie on the other side.” Profound thoughts.........just close your eyes and think!

 

The book is all about how you can choose to slow down. It just offers an introductory overview of slow living and the importance of finding your own “whys” and “hows”. It will help you to change not only the way you think, the way you spend your time, the things you own, the way you use technology, the food you gulp in, the information you consume, and by doing all this the way you view the world and the way you live in it. It’s a call to humanity, our connection to each other, and all that we have to gain by opening our eyes. It’s an invitation to live, not just exist.

 

A house full of stuff, a calendar full of commitments, a credit card full of debt, how long can you continue to live this life? People just wake up one day and have that Eureka moment – this rat race is not life!  Rather than question our priorities or try to work out why we were so unhappy, we got busier and busier.  It is more like ‘The Monk who Sold his Ferrari’ and Aha! We are ready for a better second innings! The realization seeps in that life should be abundant with happiness and not material possessions. Life was abundant with all the good stuff we’d spent so much time chasing but why were we not getting happier and happier as we gathered possessions and achieved milestones? Were we driving down the wrong road, one that doesn’t lead to happiness?

 

Sustainable living – only one planet to live

Our society and economy are built upon a strong foundation of consumption and a firm expectation that we will contribute more and consume more and lead a happy and satisfied life ever after. So deeply entrenched is this point of view that choosing to live with less stuff is viewed as miserly and insane. We must consume to the best of our ability, but in doing so we must be responsible. We live in a time when we can make a difference and support brands that are being proactive on issues we care about. If a brand is eco-friendly our money should be behind it. Sustainable living is what should be practiced and we must care more about community and sharing resources, care more about the people making our stuff and lastly care more about our planet.

 

When first, how next

Is suddenly changing your life from the fast lane to the slow lane itself time consuming? The author was frequently asked the question ‘How do I start?’ and it comes from people who are simply overwhelmed at the thought of beginning. They’re tired, stressed, overcommitted, and struggling to find any peace or simplicity in their day-to-day existence. They want to learn how, but they just can’t find an easy entry point. The answer to this question is not easy, because it is not a stereotype that can fit in every person’s life. You have to choose your own reason to slow down and then only you will find a way. The Why needs to come first, while the How will follow behind.

 

Value of de-cluttering

De-cluttering the physical environment around us is a big help. Our psychological state is often mimicking our physical environment, and de-cluttering, letting go of possessions we really don’t need, will surely and eventually lead your family to an entirely new way of living. Excess stuff in our homes, stuff we never used and purchased with money we never had to impress people whose opinion never matter only made us anxious and on an adrenaline drip. It is time to discontinue the drip.

 

But slow living is not just de-cluttering. If you can work through the process of de-cluttering with intention, then you can feel confident that a slower, simpler home waits on the other side. The reason you’re slowing down and simplifying is to make life better; spending more time on things that are important and less on things that aren’t. It is about tilting away from doing, planning, list making, screens, comparisons and mundane stuff you are sick of into meditation, into creativity, into play, into noticing, into people, into a good book. It is about getting organized enough to do more of things that are important to you and you enjoy doing, and less about doing stuff you never enjoyed doing. Choose one task you already do, and turn it into a mindfulness moment…Simply pay attention to what you’re doing in that moment — the sensations, actions, smells, and tastes. That’s mindfulness and it is invariably a blissful moment. Now imagine how many such blissful moments you can string in your day, and your life!

 

Life of dilemmas

The technology of today makes us more connected and less humane. We’re hyper-engaged and increasingly isolated. We have more information and less critical thought. We see more tragedy and have less empathy. We enjoy more privilege but are less satisfied. We are sensitive to personal offense and desensitized to the suffering of others. It is time to re-calibrate our relationship with technology, pause the virtual friendship and go back to the real friends. The author puts it so poignantly “The more I connect with people in real life, the more I have conversations and see their strengths, beauty, and imperfections, the more I realize we’re all alike. We’re all human. We’re all trying.”

 

 

If I have convinced you then get hold of this book and read it. You will enjoy and get inspired to live a better life, a life less stressful, more creative, where you really take notice of what goes around you and take better decisions!