Go With The Slow - Final Reflections

Welcome to Summer of Slow Reflections - a weekly(ish) blog on my personal experiences as I attempt to hit the brakes on life's relentless pace. Each week, I'll share insights from the front lines of my summer of deceleration - the daily struggle to simply be present without jumpstarting into the next thing. To marinate in a moment without stirring. To gaze at a cloud without checking my phone.

Brave New Pace: A Journey from Fear to Freedom

I am back with the final reflection of my Summer of Slow. As I wrap up this season of slow living and self-discovery, I want to share a powerful quote that sums up my journey:

"Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart."

Let's be honest: fear is a sneaky companion. It whispers doubts, paints worst-case scenarios, and often masquerades as practicality. I've spent a good chunk of my life letting those fears take the driver's seat. "What if I fail?" "What will others think?" "Am I really qualified for this?" Sound familiar???

As I stand at the threshold of emerging from this Summer of Slow, I find myself scared. This summer gave me permission to not know all the answers, to not always be doing. It's been a beautiful reprieve from the constant pressure of being "enough" and doing "enough". And now, as I prepare to step back into the faster-paced world, I'm learning to reprogram that default of letting fear of being enough and doing enough control me.

My OG wellbeing idol, Dr. Susan David , offers a perspective that resonates deeply with me:

"Abandon the idea of being fearless. Instead, walk directly into your fears, with your values as your guide, towards what matters to you. Courage is not the absence of fear: courage is fear walking."

These words are my mantra. I'm learning to say hello to my fear, to hold its hand, and to walk (slowly) beside it towards what's next and waiting for me. It's not about banishing fear, but about changing our relationship with it.??

In our achievement-oriented world, it's all too easy to let these fears dictate our choices. We stick to the safe path, the expected route. We silence our dreams because they seem too risky, too unconventional, or too... well, dreamy.??

I've come to realize that living in a constant state of hustle not only keeps us from our dreams but also from the ability to dream at all. It's only when we slow down and create space that the path to making our dreams a reality becomes clear. For years, I wondered what it would be like to step away from my corporate life, to take a bet on myself, to create the world of work that I truly want. Don't get me wrong - corporate life offered valuable lessons and benefits, and I met incredible humans who will be lifelong friends. But my dreams of doing things on my own terms and in my own way was always a soft voice calling.

I've watched friends and colleagues (and yes, myself) make decisions based on fear rather than aspiration. We've turned down exciting opportunities, stayed in unfulfilling jobs, or kept our true passions hidden - all because fear spoke louder than our hearts. We wear our caution like armor, our "practicality" like a badge of honor. But at what cost?

This Summer of Slow has taught me that there's another way. It's not about ignoring fear (it does serve a purpose, after all), but about not letting it be the boss of us. It's about turning up the volume on our dreams and letting them guide us instead. ??

So, how do we start listening to our hearts over our fears? Here are a few things I'm trying:

1. Dream journaling: Writing down our wildest aspirations without censorship.
2. Fear-facing: Identifying our fears and challenging their validity.
3. Heart-centered decision making: Asking "What would I do if I wasn't afraid?" before making choices.
4. Surrounding ourselves with dream-chasers: Finding inspiration in those who've followed their hearts.
5. Celebrating small acts of courage: Acknowledging every time we choose dreams over fear.
6. Practicing self-compassion: Being kind to ourselves when fear does win sometimes.
7. Visualizing success: Imagining our dreams coming true in vivid detail.

As I navigate this journey I am vigilant about changing my relationship with fear. Our fears don't have to be roadblocks; they can be signposts, pointing us toward growth and authentic living.

I know I'll make mistakes along the way, or fall back into old ways— we all do. But pursuing my dreams feels like freedom, even if it sometimes means working harder. Doing my own thing, in my own way, means I'm betting on myself. And that bet, scary as it may be, is thrilling in its possibilities.

So, I ask you, what dreams have you been keeping quiet? What would your life look like if you let those dreams speak louder than your fears?

Remember, you are more than your fears. You are your hopes, your passions, your wildest dreams. And those dreams? They're not just idle fantasies. They're the compass pointing you toward your most fulfilled, authentic life.

As I close this Summer of Slow, I want to thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope one or more of the blog posts resonated with you. I'd love to hear which one impacted you the most or what insights you've gained from this series. Please send me a note or leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Let's continue to choose being led by the dreams in our hearts, walking hand in hand with our fears. Because when we do, we don't just change our own lives - we inspire others to do the same. And that, my friends, is how we change the world. ????