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Slow and Simple

Writer's picture: Jessica FieldJessica Field

*from January's newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter on the homepage.


We are moving into what is essentially my childhood home--same street, same floor plan, about five houses away from where I grew up. As I walk through the empty home dreaming of how we will make it our own, I am flooded with memories. I remember the television that only had ten channels and the rabbit ears that we had for a short time (at least I think that was our tv--memories do fade and blend with time). I remember the telephone in the kitchen, perhaps our only phone, with the extra-long cord that would twist and tangle. I remember the paper calendar hanging near it and the rolodex of phone numbers. I remember the phone book that sometimes doubled as a booster seat for me at the kitchen table. I remember birthday parties and Christmases, bedtime prayers, slip n’ slides, neighborhood 4th of July parades and trick or treating. I remember learning to read Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein in my parents’ bed. 


I can’t help but to draw the connection between this feeling of returning home to the feeling of returning to simplicity: no internet (we had the whole Encyclopedia Britannica set), few screens, and an answering machine! Fancy that—not being reachable 24/7!


My husband and I have been discerning our use of social media and smart phones for a while, as well as considering the values we hold that we haven’t prioritized as much as we’d like. I must admit, it’s a struggle to let go of social media as I attempt to reach more people with this message of spiritual wellness, but I would be dishonest if I didn’t also tell you that I love scrolling for personal use when I’m bored and before bed (and I have worked hard to curate the algorithm to give me comedy, puppies, and house cleaning videos!).  


But in all seriousness, the timeliness of reading Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke for January’s book club feels fitting as I take steps to curb my time online. My husband and I also long for a Sabbath, a true day of rest without distraction—we hope to put this into practice more regularly this year.


Does any of this resonate with you?

Thus, my words for 2025 are slow and simple. 


Slow

Part of “slow” is letting go of a culture of rushing around. Text messages do not need to be responded to right away. Emails can sit. Do you remember when we had answering machines and letters delivered to mailboxes and survived? Part of my instinct to rush really comes from a deeper place of anxiety—what will happen if I don’t respond right away? What if I forget to respond later? What will this person think of me if I don’t get back to them right away? This inclination to rush a response often puts me in a place where I feel disappointed in myself for what sometimes feels more like a reaction than a truly thoughtful response.


“Slow” also means spending more time being present. Cooking a meal rather than getting take-out. Watching a tv show rather than scrolling (…and then maybe not binging five more episodes to get that dopamine high). It means talking to people in waiting rooms rather than looking at my phone, whether it be at email, NYT games, or socials. 


I practiced this on a recent trip by talking to people that I was sitting next to at the airport gate.  I met a lovely woman who I had a lot in common with, and we ended up laughing together for about ten minutes straight as we shared stories of the summer camps we attended growing up. At another gate I was able to listen to an older man tell me about his late wife and his son who he had just visited. Remember genuine, in person connection? It feels pretty good.

(Confession—I was still scared to strike up too much conversation with my seat mates on the plane lest they think I wanted to talk the whole cross-country flight! Nobody is perfect.)


Simple

This is my prompt to not overcomplicate things. For example—I have a deep desire to leave social media but I also still want to use it for work. Overcomplicating this would be feeling like I need to rush into a final decision; the "simple" approach would be taking one step and deleting them from my phone but allowing myself to use them from my computer. I also have a desire to perfectly meal plan, cook, and budget, etc. An attempt to achieve perfection in the kitchen would overcomplicate my life, set me up for failure, and take the joy out of the intention.  "Simple" would be making sure I have easy supplies on hand to encourage more eating from home (yay budget!) and not worrying about having the whole week planned out (sigh of relief). It won’t kill me to take my time at the grocery store every day or two and see what sounds good. In a nutshell, simple feels like taking one thing at a time, one step at a time, and being present with myself while I do it.


I encourage you to think about your two words for the year.

What has been brewing in your heart? What are you longing for in your life?


The New Year always invites an opening for new intentions. I pray you will find yours, and that they will be meaningful and gentle.



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