Passionate Life: Slow Down



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I may not be very old, but I certainly can't believe how quickly time goes by.  I've scarcely blinked and I'm no longer 16.  I'm sure you can all relate-- time goes by but you don't feel any older.  I so wish that I had realized when I was younger to slow down and appreciate life.  I spent so much time just wanting the next big thing. Whether it was a day, a month or a whole semester, I couldn't way for time to go by.  A phrase I used quite frequently was "I can't wait..."

I have pretty much eradicated this phrase from my life now.  I no longer want to wish away my life, waiting for better times.  I need to learn to live right now, to be thankful for each breath and the people who surround me. I am saddened to think of how much good I could have accomplished if I'd just been able to appreciate what was right in front of me. 

Think of all the good you can do with each moment.  Instead of settling while you wait for "real" life to happen, we can build each other up.  We can passionately serve God.  We can be more like Jesus.  

Like I talked about in this post, I think one of the keys to passionate life is to not waste the precious resources we have: time and words.  We can use them for good or we can squander them.  We can use them to build ourselves and others, or we can use them to tear us apart.

 

Dear 16-year-old Danielle: Slow down. Love. Be thankful for what you have.  You will be glad you did, because the moments sure do fly by. 

 

 

 

Read more about passionate life here and here!