Societal Exhaustion in Our High Speed World: Slow It Down

By Frosty Wooldridge

You live in a high speed, high stress society. Everything ramps you up to meet deadlines, reach class on time and excel at work. You face texting, emails and Smart Phone recordings. If you’re a parent, you must take the kids to soccer practice, swim meets and sports contests.

(Paddle your boat at your speed, your joy and your contentment your whole life through. If you find choppy waters, paddle toward calmer ones. If you like slow smooth glides, paddle toward a lagoon. If you like wild raging surf, paddle toward the ocean. At all times, you captain your boat.) Photography by Frosty Wooldridge

You rush to work via gridlocked traffic, high-pressure bosses and a never-ending “to do” list awaiting you at work. Later you struggle to maintain your fitness in Zumba dance or spin classes. You feel like a gerbil on the running track where you try to read a Kindle book of your favorite author.

Smart phones today offer a quad-rillion “apps” in order to keep you staring into cyberspace for ten lifetimes, but you can never catch up. All television commercials urge you to buy the “fastest” Internet speed offered.

Nicholas Sparks made you cry your eyes out as you read “Safe Haven” or “Notebook” while pedaling a stationary bicycle. If you’re a young or married student, you face papers, tests and pop quizzes.

Added to the speed of our society, you face an exceedingly complicated and specialized society. If someone fails to fulfill his or her job description, you must work overtime to carry the load. The more responsible you become, the more stress you must endure. People at work may bug you, which increases your stress levels beyond imagination.

Add it up. What do you see? How do you feel? Where can you escape? Any chance of solving your stress levels? How do you cope with your own enervation?

If you look around America today, you see “societal exhaustion” manifesting in ever-increasing magnitude.

You may try to engage a few techniques that work for me in my own 50 hours a week work schedule.

First of all, your mind enlightens your consciousness. You choose the rapidity of your life by your awareness that you cannot continue “speeding” through your life. Take a deep breath! Let go of things that bug you and turn away from people who sap your energy. Let go of trying to be perfect for yourself or others. Let go of grievances.

Second, think about activities that deepen your being. Yoga! It allows you breathing and centering. Meditatio
10 minutes a day creates a new quiet! Hot tub relaxes your muscles even if only your bathroom basin “Earthing” where you shove your feet into the dirt, sand or place them onto a rock surface. You want to re-harmonize your vibrations with the natural frequencies of the universe. Call your mind and body back to your center.

Third, volunteer your time to a worthy cause that satisfies your heart. You may teach kids art at a “free school.” You might help at an old folks home. Try teaching math, writing, language or other courses in your expertise to those less fortunate. Giving of yourself equates to love in action. Giving love makes another person feel good and you feel good.

Fourth, look forward to your transformation by imagining yourself into your highest and best. A new “you” may be birthed by stepping into your learned lessons supplied by life when you step out of the “box” that fails you at this time. Too much speed in your life may be changed to the “perfect speed.”

While the world spins out of control, you gather yourself toward becoming a happy, calm and tranquil “you.” While the great weights of the world bear down on all of us via the newspapers, radio and television—you maintain the singular ability to create your daily life.

Instead of “societal exhaustion” depleting you, turn toward your highest and best. Turn toward slow and steady. Change course from a Maserati lifestyle to the speed of a canoe. You remain the captain of your body, mind and soul—your whole life through.

Set your course toward “HAPPINESS!”

##