It’s hard to imagine that a mere hundred years ago, 90% of Americans were farmers. Today that number is 2%. The transformation becomes even more impactive when we assess how the cultural shift has impacted our lives. A hundred years ago electricity and lights were luxuries, only a few had ever seen a car, and the idea of air travel was a fantasy. Winter would slow nearly everyone. Fields would go dormant, cold and snow blew in, and life would slow. Winter was a time to pause; to read, reflect and bond with our spouse and kids. As culture shifted, we lost our pace. Gone was the winter pause and in its place came a harried pace, high anxiety and little time to pause or spend quality time with our spouse or kids. Today, the average couple spends 23 seconds in meaningful conversation, and most of our kids grow up in daycare centers. We are seeing and feeling the effects of a society that is stuck on turbo and in desperate need of a pause. In the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Jon Mark Comer list 20 things we should do to hit the pause button. Here are ten on this Valentine’s Day to help you regain your pace and reconnect with those who are most important.
- Intentionally drive in the slow lane at the speed limit. Eliminate the hurry.
- Get rid of all unnecessary apps. Only use your phone for essential purposes.
- Put your smart device to bed when kids go to bed.
- Don’t let news and social media set your emotional equilibrium.
- Regain time by only viewing social media on a desktop computer.
- Walk slower. One of the best ways to slow down our body is to slow our pace.
- Don’t sell your time to TV. Grab a book regularly. Go for walks
- Take a day once in a while and intentionally embrace silence.
- Pray and meditate on scripture and the things of God.
- Cook your own food and take time to enjoy dinners around the table.