Slowing Down

I've been reading a number of articles about slowing down my life lately. I'm a driven person, no doubt about that, but the constant drive since I left my undergrad has burned me out and I keep seeing myself spiral further into anxiety and high stress and all the issues associated with it.

I'm not going to go on a blamestorming session at the moment, but I'll just say that I don't let the past go very well. Sure I handle things well: layoffs, grad school abuse, etc. But those items just stick with me making it hard to move on.

I really like the following sites:
http://www.slowdownnow.org - humorous, but illustrates the concept of slowing down well and
http://www.slowmovement.com


Now, the Slow Movement site is a bit liberal for my tastes and every time I read that site I get this "Margaritaville" image in my head, but then again, what's wrong with that? Shoot, I wish I could sit on a beach all day sipping margharitas!!!! Also, if you read up on Slow Food, which encourages people to cook and enjoy their company rather that scarf down a BigMac, that is a realistic action people can take.

I know this is not going to be easy for me. I consider myself an achiever. As a reflect on my past, I realize that I used to be a much more relaxed person. Maybe if I didn't always appear that way, I know that I was. I could take a few hours and read. I would put on the headphones and just listen and daydream. I would simply close the door to my room and play guitar. And yet I still managed to get good grades in school and work.

I know there was stress in my world before. I also know that it was just that, stressful times, not the entirety of the time - which is what my current life reflects.