One question we love in our house is, If you were a superhero, what superpowers would you have? For years I’ve been very proud of my answer: The power to do things quickly. I mean, I can shake my hips at a good clip, but that really has no practical application. I walk at a solid pace and I still love speed when I ski, but other than those few exceptions, I’m slow. I eat slowly, read slowly, pay bills slowly—I’m slow. So, not only did this superpower seem perfectly suited for me, I’d actually relish in the daydream that one day I’d be bit by something or drink a magic potion and magically have the ability to zoom about like Supergirl or Shazam.
It wasn’t until last week that this was no longer a laughing matter to me. This desire to be quicker has everything to do with the pressure I feel to produce, produce, produce. Why else would being slow be presumed as a negative quality? The speed at which I do things actually enables me to be notably deliberate and thorough, yet, I view it as a hindrance.

In this process of becoming more aware of what causes stress in my life, I’ve been encouraged to look at the ways in which I break myself in order to fit in. I’ve been breaking myself to try and keep up with a pace that’s not my own. Instead of fantasizing about superhuman capacities, I pray for the courage to accept my own painless pace. There are two lanes for a reason. Go ahead, pass me. I’ll just be over here trying to learn how to better plan my days, and my life, in alignment with accepting and embracing my pleasurably productive putter.

If you like reading about pace, you might also enjoy reading these posts from the past: All I Want for Christmas and Travel, the Re-entry