Anything Worthwhile Takes a While

— Dr. Vasant Lad

In our faster-than-fast-paced world, I view slowing down as a luxury we cannot afford to lose.

Yes, the rush of time. Yes, the endless goals. Yes, our children growing up too soon. Yes, aging.

And maybe the only way to actually "stop" the relentless push of time is to pause long enough to enjoy it.

We live in a world of quick results, quick fixes, and nearly every answer at our fingertips. And somewhere along the way, I think we've forgotten that anything truly worthwhile takes a while.

A baby takes around 40 weeks to grow before entering the world.

Relationships that last and fulfill us take time to grow, deepen, change, and transform, over and over again.

Love, when it's really sweet, is a long, slow kiss or a hug you don't rush to leave.

Food is meant to be enjoyed. Think of a long meal where nothing is rushed, where you linger at the table, savor the food, and enjoy the people you're with.

Skills take time to develop. You don't learn a sport, a language, or how to build something overnight. It takes deliberate, ongoing practice and devotion to your craft to hone a skill.

Living your life also takes a kind of devotion, one that can withstand the pressure to rush.

Getting out of pain and learning to move well takes dedication and time.

Healthy living isn't a quick fix either, especially these days. It's the daily practices that add up over time. It's learning to change with the seasons of your life, addressing what is at the buffet of your life right now, and being willing to stay with the process.

Anything truly worthwhile takes a while. A relationship. A skill. Healing. A healthy body. A life. None of these are meant to be rushed.

"Busy" is a word we all too often live by.

The only antidote I have found is to simplify. Don't add. Simplify.

And then return to your breath and your body.

This time.

This place.

Now.

Here is a simple breathing practice you can do right now:

Inhale slowly up through the body, filling your low belly, upper belly, the front, sides, and back of your ribs, your upper chest, and all the way to your collarbones.

Then exhale slowly back down from the collarbones.

Repeat 3–5 times.

Then pause.

And feel.

I really hope we continue to value the long road. That we resist the pressure to rush everything that matters. And that we slow down long enough to actually feel that we are alive in this moment.

Anything worthwhile takes a while. And perhaps that's part of what makes it worthwhile.

In love and movement,
Lila