Takin' er Easy

I haven't really been making any plans.

Don't get me wrong, plans are good.  Emme, you're completely right.  I guess what I'm trying to do is just chill out a little bit.  And I've done just that the past two days.

I guess the biggest thing I've accomplished since Sunday is just embracing and doing what I want to do, rather than slaving away at what I've convinced myself I need to do.

I'm realizing that more often than not what I need to do doesn't really need to be done at all.  In reality, I didn't need to do any homework on Monday.  So instead, I did what I wanted.  

Turns out what I wanted to do was spend the morning studying current events, watching TED talks, and doing pilates and laundry.  It also turns out that what I wanted to do was spend the afternoon kidnapping my boyfriend and exploring some not-so-abandoned farms north of Calgary (if I would have seen the satellite dish on that house from the road, I never would have wandered into that old farm...).

What I wanted to do today was go buy some books.  I'm only one chapter in and I have a feeling this one might transform me.  

It's literally about just slowing your life down.  We're so caught up in fast forward.  Perhaps this is what  I really meant when I said I wanted to quit planning.  Maybe I just want to slow down.  Here's a snippet:

"Being Slow means that you control the rhythms of your own life.  You decide how fast you have to go in any given context.  If today I want to go fast, I go fast; if tomorrow I want to go slow, I go slow. What we are fighting for is the right to determine our own tempos."

It's amazing to realize the things I've subconsciously been dying to do.  Don't get me wrong, I still take care of what needs to happen.  I studied for and wrote a test this morning.  I did my laundry on Monday.  But since letting my wants have more of a say, I'm finding myself to be more productive.  I'm actually accomplishing more.  Maybe this is what that delicate word "balance" is all about.

I have a favorite saying.  I use it a lot during the summer time.  "CHERISH THIS."  Maybe that's all there is to reducing the amount of planning I do and decreasing the overall speed of my life.  I'm going to CHERISH THIS.  Cherish this semester.  Cherish the snow.  Cherish being 22.  Cherish studying the scriptures.  Cherish reading and learning new things.  Cherish the time spent with family.  Cherish living with roommates.  And best of all, cherish dating.  I think Bob says things best in regards to cherishing dating.  

Cheers to less planning.  Cheers to slowing down.  Cheers to cherishing.