Monday, 22 June 2020

"Slow Down"


AD | Hello my lovelies, happy Monday, I hope that you're all having a really wonderful start to your week! Other than my usual monthly update at the start of each month, I realised that it's been a while since I have actually sat down and written a proper deep personal post, so that's what I thought I would share with you all this week.

My about me on any website or social media page has always said "I haven't the slightest clue of who I am, what I'm doing or where I want to be. But I know I want more than the typical 9 to 5 job, 2.5 kids and flashy car." However, I did realise how much this fact hit home to me until the coronavirus lockdown. I saw a quote, which I've seen so many times on the internet before but until right now the words didn't really make me feel like it did when I read it a few weeks back.

"Some people want a big house, a fast car and lots of money. Some people want a tiny cabin in the wood away from those kinds of people."

The second sentence in that quote describes me, so much. I have realised these past few months that I adore silence, proper spooky ghost-like silence where there is no noise from anything in the world. Don't get me wrong I agree that silence isn't everyone's cup of tea and its easy to get swept away by your thoughts, but when it's pure life silence it's blissful to me. I've only recently known that this way of thinking and life is called "slow living". This doesn't mean I don't like my music loud or that I want to live in the 1700s or anything, it just means that I've never been someone who craved noise, drama or a heretic life.

I like having a very small circle of good-understanding, caring and loving people around me. I adore quotes, positive happy ones and depressive understanding ones. I adore sitting outside with the sun shining on my face whilst I hear wildlife around me. I completely adore the nights sky and I love waking up to the smell of coffee in the morning. I'd trade a cosy night-in with a wild night-out any day. I like things in my life, and in my home, to have meaning and they're not just there "for a show" or decoration and I like to find the comfort, love and happiness in the little moments of my life.

Then, I realised everything I'd wanted and hoped to achieve I'd already done. I was sat at my desk back in April, the 29th to be exact (I know because I went back and checked my diary), and I was staring blankly at the mirror in front of me on the wall thinking about my life.

I was thinking about sharing a post back then on my goals, and I realised that I couldn't think of any. I mean proper true goals you know the type you have when you're younger like get married, or have your dream job, or own your own home, proper big girl goals like that not things that are on your bucket list that you hope to achieve one day but know that you probably won't. Example: own a home in the Bahamas, jump out of a plane, etc. I'm going to sound really big-headed here and a total stuck-up bitch couldn't think of any.

What did I want out of my life? Then it all hit me like a ton of bricks because I didn't know. I'm married to the most amazing man, I have my dream job as a full-time blogger and I adore our beautiful home. I want nothing more than an easy, slow-living, peaceful, eco-friendly, vegan life, which again I have. So, what is it more I crave?

"I would like to spend the rest of my days in a place so silent, and working at a pace so slow, that I would be able to hear myself living."

This is when I realised that although I am very happy and content with my life, others aren't. Is this you? Are you so fast-paced that your life is now suddenly no-stop? Imagine if you had some spare time every day to slow down to do something you crave, something calming, slow and unproductive. Would you? What would it feel like to you? Sometimes we all need little reminders to not let things get on top of us and to just calm down.

"Instead of saying ‘I don’t have time’ try saying ‘it’s not a priority,’ and see how that feels... I have time to iron my sheets, I just don’t want to. But other things are harder. Try: ‘I’m not going to edit your résumé, sweetie, because it’s not a priority.’ ‘I don’t go to the doctor because my health is not a priority.’ If these phrases don’t sit well, that’s the point. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don’t like how we’re spending an hour, we can choose differently." - Laura Vanderkam, Wall Street Journal.

My advice to everyone is to just simply slow down because everything that you are chasing will catch you and the things that don't catch up to you are the things (and people) that don't matter. If you're always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you are in? Slow down, be grateful, enjoy the moment you’re in and live your life to the fullest.


I'd love to know your thoughts about ways your slow down and if you have a busy busy bee of a lifestyle or a really calm one so please leave me a little comment of love below? I'm sending you all so much love for a wonderful day x

With love, Alisha Valerie. x

43 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Sadly I deleted this comment as it was spam.

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  2. Loved this post. I’m in a space where I’m so grateful for the lockdown because it allowed us time to be able to just slow down and enjoy life and all the simple blessings we usually take for granted ! It allowed us stop being in a rush and chasing goal after goal and to simply be content !
    Great post !

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  3. Great post, I think lockdown has definitely given us all some time to work out what is a priority in life and what isn't. I've been concentrating more on what makes me happy rather than what other people expect me to do.

    www.thekellydianereport.co.uk

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  4. This is an excellent post.
    I used to race through life, and I missed so much because of it. Now I try to take time, and slow down.
    Cora | https://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/

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  5. I think it's important to slow down in life once in a while, especially when it all gets a bit too much, I think being in lockdown has definitely made me see what I should prioritise in my life! x

    Lucy | www.lucymary.co.uk

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  6. Great post, I think the last few months have encouraged a lot of people to reflect like this and that's probably a good thing. It's important to check in with yourself every so often and see what your goals are and how you're feeling about life in general x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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  7. I honestly feel this post so much. I think it'll be the main thing I take away from lock down. Life is OK slow, it's OK to feel happy and safe and like you're living the life you want to be.
    As much as it is OK to want a better life. Sometimes we need the time, like we've been given recently, to see what our life is really like and just how lucky we are.

    Brilliant post Alisha x

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  8. This is such a great post. It’s hard to lose sight about what we should be grateful for. Money doesn’t buy happiness! xx

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  9. Its definitely good for us to slow down sometimes. I have definitely done a lot of reflecting whilst in lockdown and have also slowed down and just enjoyed the quiet times we've been having.

    Chloe xx
    www.chloechats.com

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  10. I am DEFINITELY the second kind of person in that quote. We have a week coming up where we booked a campsite. It's the kind that you have to hike into, you can't drive onto the site. The perk of that? You won't see anyone at all when you're there... No cars driving by, no people walking by. Just my husband and I, and our pups, hanging out by the lake.

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  11. Oh this post resonates with me so much. I feel like I'm constantly busy at the moment but that I don't actually know what it is I'm striving to achieve. This is really making me think that I need to actually sit and think about what I want. Great post, thank you!

    Lindsey | https://aramblingreviewer.wordpress.com/

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  12. It's so important to take the time to slow down and reflect on things - lockdown has been the perfect opportunity to do this even more!

    Tash - https://www.agirlwithview.co.uk/

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  13. This is such a great post! It's so important to not rush through life and slow down and enjoy each day. Lockdown has really allowed me to do this and it's been a blessing in disguise!

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  14. Great post! This lockdown has definitely made me slow down and think twice about what it is I want for my future. Living in the moment it’s what life is all about.

    xoxo Olivia | http://www.oliviaandbeauty.com/

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  15. lock down has changed many peoples attitude...hope it would be for good

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  16. When you live in a noisy city you will crave silence, but real silence is not something anyone can actually live in for long, unless you are a grizzled war veteran in a Hollywood movie lol.

    https://aab-edu.net/

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  17. Up until a few months ago, I've been that busy bee. I guess it comes from many years of working in a organisation where we always had to be on our feet. I honestly had such a hard time taking things slow. But since I've resigned, I'm learning the art of slow living. It's not always easy, but it's fulfilling!

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  18. I think this is great advice especially since there's so much nowadays that is immediate and fast. We have information at our fingertips, fast food, and so much more. Thanks for sharing this!

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  19. Such good advice, as always! My normal, pre-lockdown life is quite full on so I am really enjoying being able to slow it down a bit more!
    Rosie
    loverosiee.co.uk

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  20. I certainly struggle with enjoying my time. I like your suggestion of rephrasing. I use this a little with explaining my choices to my kids about the “to do list” and that things may be on it but “further down the list” or “not at the top of the list” but I need to consciously prioritize more...

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  21. Amazing post! Thank you for sharing this! Being able to slow down lately has given me time to think about my life and what I want for the future!

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  22. This is definitely a personal goal I have been working towards. I have given up a lot of the busy activities I used to do out of obligation and I have never felt happier.

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  23. Love this so much and I really resonate with it! I am definitely the same as you, I much prefer the quiet life and do not have dreams of big fancy cars! So happy for you that you are so happy, isn't it wonderful to just feel so much joy and content with your life? Not many people get to that point (usually because of all the materialistic things they chase, etc)! Inspiring xx

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