Life is not a race. However, it seems that America's passion for
speed has become an addiction. The need for speed has come so apparent
that one recovered "speedaholic" has hit the brakes and
is encouraging people to adopt a slower lifestyle.
Suggestions To A Slower Lifestyle:
- Don't schedule something to fill every moment of free time
- Prioritize activities and eliminate from the bottom of the list
- Cut back on television time
- Don't rush just to rush
Many Americans are in a continual fast-forward motion. Whether
their tasks involve work, meals or family time, people are constantly
rushing to complete their next task. "The faster the better"
mind-frame inevitably places quantity over quality. For this reason,
advocates of what is known as the Slow Movement are on a global
quest to remind people that everything must be kept in balance.
This movement has been growing for years in Europe, where walking
and interacting with people are activities becoming increasingly
encouraged across the cities. In the United States, the movement
is slow, but growing.
A force connected to the belief of the Slow Movement is Slow Food,
which first began in the 1980s. It advocates healthy ingredients
in cooking as well as taking the time to enjoy meals. Slow Food
USA is also teaching school children about biodiversity in the food
supply through creating gardens and utilizing what is grown.
However, the fact remains that the line between work and personal
time has become blurred in the eyes of many Americans.
The Take Back Your Time initiative in
North America is another group encouraging more personal time and
simpler lives. This group's goal is to initiate legislation to address
such topics as:
- Paid family and medical leave
- Three weeks minimum paid vacation
- A cap on mandatory overtime
This group stresses that they are not lazy and believe work is
important and valuable; however feel Americans have stretched themselves
too far.
ABC
News November 1, 2004
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