A Slower Pace

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to live at a pace that is in alignment with our soul purpose.

Or at the very least, what our soul desires.

I keep realizing more and more the quiet toxicity that can arise when we live in a society where time moves at a fixed pace.

It creates this sense that we are either behind, ahead, or just barely keeping up. And that pace is often determined by external forces rather than by checking in with our own internal rhythm.

Because of that, we begin to measure ourselves against something that was never ours to begin with.

We structure our days to feel ahead of the curve, to feel like we are doing enough, moving fast enough, achieving enough. And sometimes that pace is necessary, depending on the season of our lives. There are moments when we do need to move with that external current.

But lately, I have been questioning what that pace is doing to us.

Especially when I think about health. The rise in illness, even among younger people, the presence of so many diseases. It makes me wonder how much of this can be helped and how much of it is our of our control. I do not have a clear answer, but I feel that at least some part of it connects to the way we are living.

And then there is the planet itself. So beautiful when seen from afar, as in the images shared by the astronauts looking back at Earth from the recent Artemis II mission. And yet, at the same time, so deeply affected by the way we exist within it.

It is striking to think that despite being only one part of the living system here, humans have the capacity to create such large-scale impact.

It brings me back again to the question of pace.

What is a pace that is actually sustainable?

Because when I look at how we are moving now, on so many levels, it does not feel sustainable.

I have started to notice this in my own life, especially when I am on Instagram. It is the social media platform I engage with the most, and I genuinely appreciate the way it allows connection with people all over the world. People I would never have encountered otherwise.

And yet, I also notice how easily comparison enters.

I find myself looking at what others are doing and thinking, “I should be doing more,” or “I should be doing this instead.” In those moments, the feeling seems real. It feels valid.

But when I step back, sometimes even while I am still scrolling, I can feel how unhealthy that pattern is.

Not because of what others are doing. That is their life, their rhythm. The discomfort comes from when I begin to have illusions of being less than, or the way I start to believe that I need to match an external standard.

And that is not what brings me happiness.

What I am beginning to understand is that rhythm is not universal. It shifts depending on where we are in life. Someone just out of college is moving at a completely different pace than someone in elementary school, or someone caring for an elderly parent, or someone raising a child.

Each of these chapters have its own rhythm.

And yet, we still carry this idea that we should all be somewhere specific, at some defined point.

But who defines that?

Those markers should come from within.

And yet often, we confuse that with what we have been told to aim for.

So the question becomes, how do we find that place for ourselves?

For me, it feels like a process of trial and error.

Some people may have a very strong internal compass from the beginning, something that clearly guides them. But for many of us, including myself, it takes time to understand what actually feels right.

It begins with a simple question. What makes me feel fulfilled?

Lately, I have noticed that for me, it is a slower pace.

Not in every aspect, because there are still responsibilities and time-sensitive things that need to be done. But overall, I need space. Time to process, time to move through things without rushing.

I have realized that I enjoy the process itself. Whether it is cooking, painting, or spending time with my daughter, what matters most is having the space to be present within what I am doing. Even to meander within it.

That sense of openness is important to my happiness.

I was recently talking with Suzanne, my social media manager, about where to focus my external presence. Right now, it is mainly Instagram and Substack.

And I noticed that I feel drawn to Substack in a different way.

It feels slower. There is still a sense of community, but it allows for more depth.

There is also room to experiment. I can share writing, audio, video. There are multiple ways to express something, and that flexibility feels natural to me.

Being on a platform like Substack gives me space to think, to breathe, to share more fully.

It does take more time to create something here, but it does not feel like creating content. It feels like creating connection.

And that is what is important to me right now.

Not simply growing followers, although that may happen as a by-product, but creating meaningful connections. Sharing my practice, who I am, in a way that allows others to step into this space with me.

Even if what I am doing does not appear significant on the outside, it feels aligned internally.

I have come to see that much of what happens for me begins internally. It takes time before it percolates to the surface.

And this space is essential.

Because what we call happiness is not a fixed mark. It is a spectrum. It can look like joy, or contentment, or peace. It shifts depending on the person and the moment.

But when we are aligned with it, it touches everything.

Mentally, we feel more at ease. Emotionally, we become more stable and more present in our bodies. Physically, we begin to relax, and even simple functions like digestion improve.

Everything is interconnected.

I am noticing this more as I explore intuitive eating, herbalism, and the relationship between body and energy. Nothing exists in isolation.

And so, in sharing this, I hope it offers something to consider. Maybe just a reminder that you are not alone in trying to figure out what alignment feels like for you.

That it is okay to be in the process of figuring it out.

And that you can trust yourself, even when there are many voices on the outside suggesting otherwise.

Even what I am sharing here is just one perspective. Something to take or leave, depending on what resonates.

But perhaps it can open a small doorway into another way of seeing.

Because what matters is not aligning with the outside first.

It is aligning within.

And from there, choosing how to meet the world.

When we allow external forces to define us, it can leave an emptiness, as though we have moved away from ourselves.

And that disconnection is something many people are experiencing.

We have been immersed in the external for so long that we have not paused to ask where we stand, or who we are within all of it.

So even taking a few minutes each day can matter.

For some, that may be journaling. For others, a quiet walk. Or simply sitting alone without distraction.

What matters is creating space to let something surface from within.

To reflect, to reconnect, and then to realign.

And from that place, to step back into the world more fully as ourselves.