Introduction

Introduction

“Life is not a race but a pace we need to maintain with reality.”

― Amit Abraham

Whether knowingly or not, we’ve all entered into a race. Busyness has become our business, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life have hypnotized us into believing that’s just how it all works. We believe that if we don’t stop moving, we can’t fall behind. And worse yet, if we move fast enough, we’ll actually win the race we’re seemingly participating in at all times.

What are we racing for, though? Are we actually winning anything? What are we missing out on when we don’t take the time to stop to enjoy the moments? After all, what is life if not a journey to perpetually live and learn?

Through all the endless work we interact with (and by work I’ll be referring to anything we feel obligated to participate in, are paid to do, or have a passion toward - and yes, for all you parents, I’ll always place you/us at the top of this list), we can mindlessly lose ourselves in our functions quite easily. For example, when asked to introduce ourselves, most of us almost always respond with our “Name and Occupation.” “Hi, my name is Logan, and I’m an author (now, I guess).”

Surely, each of us is much more than that.

The work we’re so busy doing should solely reside in the value we create for others, our communities, and ourselves. In this book, I want to highlight all but focus more specifically on that last part. If we can’t more mindfully provide value that then, in turn, fulfills our actions, we will never “win” this so-called race. We could even risk completely forgetting why we’re moving in the first place.

More than ever before, our busy lives are propelling us to implement actions without gaining the necessary meaning from them. Thus, dissatisfaction and discontent are on an upward trend. Depression has become far too prominent in society. As someone who has sat alongside loved ones that have constantly questioned their purpose in life, I ironically have wrapped my fulfilling purpose into educating and building systems that can help us move through our lives more fluidly. The Slow Growth concept is an example of that.

How about you? Have you ever stopped to think about your situation? Have you ever done something only to realize you don’t feel contentment? Have you ever stopped halfway through a day of work or a lengthy relationship, or anything you have been putting effort towards, and realized it wasn’t truly making you happy? When that happened, you must have sat down and asked yourself what you’re doing with your life. Right?

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in the 21st century simply because we, as humans, have grown accustomed to our rushed lives. We dream big but aspire even more to rush ourselves into accomplishing something notable as quickly as possible. It’s in our nature to crave that recognition. Outside positive reinforcement and attention is a drug.

But how can we fight the urge and resist that high? How can we feel more satisfied when working toward a goal on our own? Well, we can only feel fulfillment when we are fully conscious of our actions. Rushing into doing things without being completely aware of your actions, and the desired outcomes, will make you oblivious of the progress you make, of the people you encountered along the way, and all the experiences you inherit. You miss out on the journey. And that’s the best part.

While busyness constantly entices us with new innovations and more exciting opportunities to test our abilities in the best way possible, this type of lifestyle comes at the expense of our contentment. Without contentment, we feel a sense of loss even when achieving things. How so? This is all psychology. As humans, we need to feel fulfillment at the end of the day. That’s where we get our energy. It might be cliche, but all the money in the world cannot buy you happiness. Only purposeful growth, and a constant stream of positive energy from what you do, can afford the truest sense of happiness (more on this later).

Humans need to know that what we accomplish is worth something. Without this validation, we feel unseen. When we’re not acknowledged, we forget to acknowledge ourselves. And when you feel that invisible, you risk being swallowed up by loneliness.

With numerous studies being conducted and endless research on how a person can find their purpose and live each day of their life, there is little out there to help a person get back on track without complications. A Slow Growth mentality can help.

There are countless examples of people working a 9 to 5 doing something they love only to return home feeling something is amiss at the end of the day. You might not know why during those moments, but this book is designed to help you reach within to uncover those reasons regularly.