Quote of the Week...from Confucius

It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you don't stop.         ---Confucius.

I have to mention up front that Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher of antiquity, did not live in a technologically advanced, industrial society where work is evaluated by productivity, i.e. how much and how well one produces the required product as a function of time, sometimes measured down to the second.  In my job, I wouldn't be considered a good employee were I just to slowly go about my assignments with no regard to how long I take...your situation, if you happen to be employed, is probably similar...and the consuming public in today's world of instant gratification seems to have lost any semblance of patience.   But you don't have to be an active member of the work force to be affected by time limitations and the need to go a little faster and be prompt.  If you're going to school, you often have to do your assignments at a brisk pace and quickly pack into your brain the material needed for tests. Appointments are pervasive in our lives...juggling them around in our schedules can sometimes involve rushing around, the opposite of Confucius's exhortation. If you like sports, chances are that going fast is an important element for success with whichever team or athlete you're following...including possibly yourself if you're an active participant.  And if you're driving down the road, going slow in itself can present a safety hazard to others if your speed is far below the surrounding traffic flow.  So in today's world the above quote has to be taken with some significant qualifications.  Still...

I think what Confucius was getting at is the importance of continuity in our lives.  For example, if you've read this eleven-year old blog of mine for any amount of time you'll know that I am an avid runner...yet speed rarely enters into this activity as I am more interested in covering distances.  That, I believe, is a wise priority since I'm almost 62 and my days of personal record times are a thing of the past.  Yet as I age, I can still cover those distances with slower running...and mix that running with walking breaks.  But continuity also matters when you consider instilling daily habits.  I believe that if you make a daily routine out of consistently doing something that will enhance your life and possibly others'...even if you do whatever it is slowly...then that element will become a integral part of who you are even if you're not setting speed records.  No point in doing everything at a breakneck pace...there's already enough outside pressure going on without us doing this to ourselves...