Finding a pace of life that doesn't result in persistent exhaustion is challenging. The people I have observed being content with the pace of their life often have routines that they stick to and know their limits well after years of practice. I'm unsure our society has the fortitude for such routine as previous generations demonstrated. The challenge is that we have too many options for spending our time. We can nearly scroll away an entire day, binge a new tv show without any ads, or shop for anything we can imagine. All these options provide a helpful numbing of our senses and dilute reality. They distract us from what matters.

What are the virtues we want to live with? Becoming the person we desire to be, or may think we are, is a process that requires discipline. I think of the people I admire, those who have a pace of life, a peacefulness about them; they are all older than me. They grew up in a time vastly different from our current historical place. The industrialized, technological fast-forwarding of human culture is the recent shift. Once again, analyzing the lives of those I desire to be like, they tend to refrain from engaging in modern social media trends or general trends. This removal of frivolous distractions allows them to engage the world genuinely.

One way we may find healthier rhythms of life is to zoom out. How will our current actions impact our future and the following generations? When I think of the longevity some decisions have in our lineage, I find it easier to reorient my focus to tasks aligned with who I want to be. Alternatively, we can zoom in. I don't recall who popularized this quote but to paraphrase: the way we spend our hour's shapes our days, our weeks, our months, and our years. This reminder may not be optimal for slowing down, but it helps guide our focus toward the activities we choose to fill our days.

The Christmas season is here, and I am tired, anticipating more rest. Each year I relish the time I spend reading and recalibrating my goals for the upcoming year. I encourage you to ponder what pace of life is healthy for you, are your days spent doing the things you value, and how they are shaping the person you want to be.