Finding Harmony in Simple and Slow Living

I either start the new year or end the year with a new blog but this time I deliberately delayed the process of blogging. I feel '24 should be all about finding harmony in simple and slow living. Should I blame Saturn? Hence, the blog on Finding Harmony in Simple and Slow Living. 

Over the years, the living style and standards have taken over the driver's seat and we, mere humans, are in the passenger's seat without much control in the given situation. In today's fast-paced global digitalized world, I am an old soul trapped in the body of a mid-thirties woman. I feel tired of catching up with the latest trends. I don't get half of the things Gen Z say and do. I feel out of place and struggle to keep up with a fast-changing world. Nevertheless, in a chaotic world, there are a few things that slow down the pace of my life. 

While the rest of the world is into Kindle and e-books, I find joy in the smell and aroma of the book. The bibliophile in me doesn't mind spending a quarter of my monthly salary in purchasing books. When I am free, I like to run my fingers over the books on the bookshelf as I walk around and admire my collections. Every Sunday, a specific time and duration is set to clean silverfish from the books and dust the bookshelf. I love to count my books as if a book or two might vanish in thin air. I worry about my books. I always tell my niece to take good care of my books and she has to read each and every book I own. I hardly entertain guests at my place but when I have people over at my place, the first and only comment I receive is about my collections of books. In a three-BHK house, I don't have fancy items of furniture and electronic appliances. The only thing that stands out is a roughly built three-stacked bookshelf, which BTW graces my Instagram post more than it is supposed to, two open cabinets of an old TV stand, and two open shelves of current TV stand. I feel an iota of guilt as I express my love and obsession for books given the fact that it has been more than three months since I opened a book to read it. Since I wanted to focus on slow living, I didn't feel the need to compel myself to read. I have a terrible habit of not doing things if I don't have a mood set for it. The first month of '24 is about to end yet the mood to open a book hasn't set in and I am kind of getting a tad worried. Maybe tonight I will resume reading the last book which is still on my bedside table. The good thing that came out of blogging today is getting back to reading. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! Books give me joy and I feel it makes my life simple and slow. 

In the world of rabbits, I am the tortoise. For the past two years, I optimally used my treadmill and now it collects dust and occasionally serves as a cloth rack. I used to love running as evidently and strongly expressed in one of my earlier blogs titled, 'My Love for Running'. But this year, I am back to basics. Walking is slow and meditative. I don't feel the need to rush. To be honest, I do miss the runner's high after a good 10 km run. But I don't miss the knee ache and sweaty body. Walking keeps me grounded with Mother Earth. Walking gives me ample time to reflect on my life. I also get to chant my daily mantra as I walk around the newly constructed basketball court just below my residence. I will admit that I don't cover much distance within 80 minutes of daily walk but it calms me down and relaxes me beyond words could describe. Since I am an introvert I spend most of my waking hours inside my house. I rarely go out. My niece and nephew run errands for me. Oh boy, ain't I glad to have them with me? So, an evening walk makes me step outside the house and spend an hour and a half in the fresh air. Therefore, walking is therapeutic and makes my life simple and slow in so many ways. 

I made an informed decision to ditch the standard sofa set a few months back when I shifted to my current residence. I have thrown a few long cushions and a Japanese dining table in the center. I live a very minimalistic life. And I love the fact that it leaves so much space for my Precious to run around, especially during her Zoomies session. I always used to yearn for a spacious house. My old house was so tiny that it used to make me feel like I was living in a doll house, size-wise not quality-wise. I am claustrophobic so confined and small spaces are trigger points for my panic attacks. Ever since I shifted to my current residence and post-ditching sofa, I feel peaceful and safe in my own house. The beautiful sunset view from my balcony reminds me that my life indeed is simple and slow. And I tell you, the sunset looks so majestically magnificent from my balcony. 

Twenty-twenty-four is all about finding harmony in simple and slow living for me. After all, slow and steady wins the race!