Slowing Down

I can't overstate how important I think these sorts of habits are. A slow walk. A quiet meditation upon waking. In aggregate, they can really change your life. The problem is, these habits aren't easier to develop than any other. They take practice and time to become innate.

We "make time" for all sorts of destructive habits. I gave smoking hours of each day for a decade. Anxiety, worry, hurry, they'd run my life for more than that. Don't set out trying to replace them. Make it OK to be a few minutes later walking home; a few moments later to work. Make time for these good habits and the bad won't stand in the face of them.

Reminds me of the studies done of walking pace in cities. Researchers discretely measure off a known length stretch of sidewalk and then secretly time a bunch of people walking it, with interesting results ("people in fast-moving cities are less likely to help others and have higher rates of coronary heart disease").

Radiolab podcast from 2010: http://www.radiolab.org/2010/oct/08/

Paces in different cities: http://www.richardwiseman.com/quirkology/pace_home.htm

This is a very interesting exercise, I have to try it some time this week!

Here's another one: Go to a quiet place, outside. Maybe to a forest. You should be alone. Now stop and listen. Try to identify all of the sounds you hear. Try to hear more, quieter sounds. Do this for several minutes.

For me it's always amazing how much more sound there is than you'll initially hear. And how I get bored first and then, after a while, can't stop listening.

Edit: Spelling.

It's the reason why i prefer walking rather then bike

His smugness about the older woman is infuriating.