19 - Slowly

Full transcript here 👋 Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen. The word for today is slowly. One time I got to go to Tanzania, Africa, and I learned a phrase in Swahili that has stuck with me for 20 years. When someone sees you stumble, they say, “Polepole.” It’s a way of showing care, but it’s also a reminder to slow down. Tanzanian culture emphasizes gradual progress. I didn’t get to hike up Kilimanjaro, but Tom Bouwer writes, “[our mountain guide told us] ‘everyone can go fast at 9,000 feet – I want you to be able to get to the top.’ In other words, by going slowly, we had a better chance of reaching our goal in less time.” Stephen Covey had a similar sentiment when he said, “With people, slow is fast and fast is slow.” Today’s concrete challenge is to go slowly in one small aspect of your day. It could be a small moment with your family or friends where you stop what you’re doing to give them your undivided attention, or it might be a break that you take from work to go outside for a short walk. Consider NOT powering through every minute today and see if you ultimately get further and feel better. Polepole. Let me know how it went at concrete.win/today. Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then. References: Pole Pole – A Lesson in Swahili