Benefits Of Slowing Down

Journalist Carl Honore believes the Western world's emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life. But there's a backlash brewing, as everyday people start putting the brakes on their all-too-modern lives.

Right on Carl. We're all speeding and racing through each day usually because there's was no time to methodically plan in the first place and so we've got no choice but to hit the ground running each day, all in an effort to simply catch up! All this Go! Go! Go! and Now! Now! Now! mentality does is perpetuate exhaustion, frustration and fatigue while producing sloppy, half-ass and less than stellar results.

I truly believe we could all benefit from simply slowing things down a bit and focusing on the nuance and details of this beautiful thing we call life.

It's like eating slow and enjoying every bite. Or taking a walk and appreciating the way the light comes through the trees. The result of all this perpetual multi-tasking, more times than not, really means doing several things at the same time - all of them half-ass! Crossing another something off of your to-do list might imply "done", but is it truly finished - i.e. really done well or was it done so quickly that you'll have to go back and "really" finish it later?

"Multi-tasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes," David E. Meyer, a cognitive scientist and director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times. "Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information."

That's not to say that people who have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time are more enlightened, but most people who have juggled a number of tasks at the same time won't need scientific research to confirm that by doing many things at once, you're less likely to do any of them well.

Like I tell the idiots that sometimes race down our quite little street in an effort to beat the traffic -"Slow Down!"

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Swiss Miss, Dean Irvine, Carl Honore and all the world's greatest thinkers and doers at Ted.

Living The Good Life

Living the good life means different things to different people.

The good life is about appreciating all your time, not just your leisure time. Far too many people get caught up in the mad rush of a corporate lifestyle and grow completely numb to the little moments, the simple building blocks of time that make life magical. Time, after all, is the single greatest element of life.

Slow Down – Urgency and haste instantly diminish accuracy, awareness and happiness. There is a big difference between getting things done and getting things done effectively.

Appreciate Life’s Simple Pleasures – The best things in life are free. From a quiet lakeside sunset to sleeping in on a rainy day, life’s greatest simple pleasures can only be purchased with mindful awareness.

Foster and Nurture Relationships – A happy, fulfilling life is a life shared with family and friends.

Be Self Sufficient – Freedom is the greatest gift. Self sufficiency is the greatest freedom.

Learn About Different Things – In life, a jack of all trades is far more equipped than a master of only one. Combining the two is the key.

Concentrate on Your Passions – True wealth comes naturally to those who are passionate about their endeavors.

Talk to Strangers – Quite simply, this is how you will meet great people.

Exercise Your 5 Senses – Sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Each provides a gateway to rewarding personal experiences.

Use What You Have – Success is not the byproduct of limitless resources. Success happens when you stretch the limits of the available resources.

Be Clear on Your Goals – You will never get where you want to go if you don’t know what you want.

Make a Decision – Indecision is the leading cause of missed opportunity and wasted time.

And my favorite: Assist Others – What goes around comes around.

Good stuff! These are just a few of my favorites, dig the full list via the smart folks over at: Marc & Angel Hack Life.

That's Right,

HMK

Awesome Tree Houses

Man, I wish we were spending the long weekend in something like this!

Now this is what I call a tree house. In fact, this concept would be the perfect guest room add-on in one of the huge trees on our friends Tish and Bryan's lot.

It's curved roof and large terrace makes for an inviting and impressive sight, especially with the interior lighting on.


baumraum specializes in the planning and realization of tree houses and other constructions in natural surroundings.

According to their site, baumraum can transform your individual ideas and wishes into ingenious and inspiring dwellings that combine versatility with craftsmanship of the highest quality and maximum safety standards. A major objective thereby is to handle the trees and their surroundings with the utmost care, ensuring their protection and preservation.

The cool part is that not only does baumraum combine the creative and constructive expertise of an architect with the long-standing experience of a landscape architect, they've also got established, reputable craftsmean and an in-house tree expert.

All we need now is a big tree...

That's Right

HMK
Thanks to the Cool Hunter.