Day 10 - Choose the longer walk home.

In a big city like Miami, Florida walking home is nearly impossible. Driving is necessary almost anywhere you go not to mention my job (with traffic) is nearly an hour away from home. Now you can imagine that when someone has to put up with that amount of traffic
and time consumption, the first things that come to mind are a) finding any way around it and b) taking as many short cuts as possible. I don't know about you, but I always find myself rushing through the day, every day, basically to sum it up, rushing through life. In a hurry to get to work, once at work watching the clock hoping the day ends soon, timing myself at the gym to make sure that I am finished on time, rushing back home to end my day and start all over again the next day. I always think to myself, "wow, time is flying so fast, I hate it" but we are the ones that do it to ourselves. Everyone always posting on Facebook "I can't wait until Friday", why can't we enjoy Monday just as much? Yes, I know, Mondays we have to work,  but shouldn't we be doing something we enjoy or taking up an extra activity after work that we have always wanted to do? Okay, sorry I am getting off topic, back to my deed of the day...

The easiest, fastest way for me to get home which is what I usually take is the main express way but today I decided to take the long drive, instead of walk, home down Old Cutler Road. Those of you that are familiar with Miami, are familiar with a beautiful road/semi-highway called Old Cutler Road. The two-lane road can take you from one side of South Miami all the way down to past Homestead. The road is absolutely gorgeous; it looks like a South American jungle according to some. The overhead is full of banyans that canopy over the roadways, shading a journey past secluded estates with high, vine-covered stucco walls. Ever-flowing bougainvillea's, bromeliads, and other tropical flowers are along this serene back road which draws you along its route. Lucky for me although this road makes my drive much longer, leads to my house. While driving home today on Old Cutler Road I took the time to look at the scenery and the greenery around me, it was such a beautiful day, the sun was shining and everything was so lovely and colorful around me. I must admit it was nice to take my time and look at the view around me and not worry or stress about the traffic.

While taking my drive today I started thinking, my entire life feels like one big fast forward button on a VCR, I eat fast, I talk fast, I walk fast, and according to my driving record, I drive fast, so it's nice to take it easy and slow for once. I think we should all try to take it easy and slow our lives down, if not what are we living for? Life is not a race, and if you think about it, it's quite short, so we should enjoy it and take in the beauty of the world on a normal basis. While browsing the web today I found a marvelous article with 5 good reasons why EVERYONE should slow their pace down and take the long walk and/or drive home on a normal basis, they are as follows (in my own words):

1) Slow down slowly, obviously you can't change overnight but starting to take a 5 minute breather on a normal basis will make a huge difference in your day, and you will definitely start noticing pronto.

2) Just imagine taking a random day off from work. No meetings, no errands, no work phone calls, no commitments. What would you do? Make a cup of tea, stroll through a museum? Sit on a beach with your iPod and a piña colada? Don't you feel relaxed just thinking about it? Life is too short not to randomly take a day off and enjoy it, why does everything have to be planned.

3) Take your lunch hour. My parents always taught me one thing when I started working, which was always to take my lunch hour at work. They always encouraged me to leave the office, even if it was for a walk or to listen to music. Now in my mid-twenties, okay, okay, I hate to say it but my late-twenties I realize why. Taking my one hour away from the office makes such a HUGE difference, I get to relax and not think of anything, we we're given a "lunch hour" for a reason, it was there to provide renewal, refuel, rest and rejuvenation. TAKE THE HOUR! Be comfortable being alone in your thoughts.

4) Don't sweat the little things. Yes, traffic is a bitch, long grocery lines are a bitch, and we all know this. Bring your iPod, download you're favorite music and jam out. Whatever you do, find a way to breathe through the rush.

5) Make your weekly goal to slow down, bring more calm into your life.

We all know we are a work in progress but let's try to follow these five steps above and I guarantee our lives will be much more relaxing in no time. This deed not only made my day a little more relaxing and better but it also encouraged me to take a random day next week off from work and stroll a museum or do something I appreciate and love. If I'm doing it, maybe you should try it too....!