Do you feel at ease with the pace of life around you? Or are you struggling to keep up and push yourself to deliver answers and results more quickly? Do you know what your true pace is and how does it influence your ability to be in flow and at ease in your life?

Made wrong during childhood 

One strong memory I have from preschool time, as a 4 year old, is sitting alone in the classroom while the other kids are playing outside. I’m punished because I haven’t finished my eggshells collage. My schoolteacher made clear to me: I’m too slow and should train to catch up.

The feeling of inadequacy grew through the years, with anguish and difficulties to perform as asked during each first term of each grade to bloom later in the second half of the year.

Later, during my mechanical Ms.Sc studies, I remember a meeting to start a project with a car museum manager. My mentor teacher lectured me after the meeting for not having taken the chance to ask more questions- meaning that I missed the opportunity to do so. From my side, I had been absorbing all the new information I was given and couldn’t reach in the moment the point where I could discern what kind of other information would be necessary.

So I tried to adapt and integrated that I should be able to deliver more quickly. Went along in life pushing myself to perform, often feeling highly stressed and inadequate doing so.

The courage of the Snail!

During my training as a lifecoach, we talked about courage and should chose an animal as a symbol for our courage. I first couldn’t come up with anything, but our coach would let this be my answer. So after some long seconds in discomfort , I burst out: 

“It can’t possibly be a snail! It’s so smal and fragile, anyone might crush it anytime”

While saying this I realised that it required courage to be this little slow snail, amongst all the fast moving people. This metaphor helped me to connect to some of my aspects, own them, understanding more the gifts in them.

Getting at ease with my way of being 

This journey led me to explore the implications of introversion and reading about it could see more clearly that my slow response in new encounters and situations is my natural way that goes hand in hand with my love to go deeper into things.

How easy is it for you to go through life at just your pace? What are the challenges for you? What do you witness in your life when you allow yourself to follow your pace?

Please feel free to write your reflections here.

Live a good life!