I want to let you in on a lil’ secret…
I REALLY like meeting people’s expectations of me. I want the choices I make to be validated by those around me. For so long, I placed my worth in my productivity and in the opinions of others.
But when I started my slow living journey, that mindset was challenged.
You see, slow living (at least in the U.S.) is pretty counter-cultural. It doesn’t match up to the “BE more, DO more, HAVE more” mindset that the majority of people try to live up to. Slow living is often labeled as “lazy.” “Boring.” “Less successful.”
So, I had a choice to make. Continue to try to meet the expectations of others (and let’s be honest, there’s no way to make EVERYONE happy), or choose a different path. Choose a slower path. Choose a path that actually felt right to me, even if it doesn’t look right to others.
Throughout this slow living journey, the Lord’s been reshaping my ideas of success. Success no longer looks like doing the most; it looks like being present in every moment. Success no longer looks like everyone liking me; it looks like finding my tribe of weird, wonderful friends who I can be unapologetically goofy around. Success no longer looks like reaching millions on YouTube; it looks like reaching the right people on YouTube. Success no longer looks like making thousands of dollars every month by making art I don’t really enjoy; it looks like making a little bit of money by making artwork that I truly love.
So, does slow living = less successful? Perhaps to some. But I’ve never felt more successful in my life than I do now. 😊