I have constantly been reading about slowing down, and I can't help but wonder, can I afford it? Slowing down feels like such a privilege. I always thought that it wouldn't be so difficult for me to slow down. Have you heard the song Vienna by Billy Joel? I first heard it when I was in high school, and a part of me was convinced that while I was the one doing the listening then, in a few years, it would be me telling others, “Slow down, you’re doing fine.”
I was as wrong as it gets. At almost 30, I desperately need to hear this song once a month to decrease the levels of overwhelmth. At a younger age, my vice was comparing myself to others. At 30, I feel left behind. So, how can you slow down when you constantly feel like you’re left behind, or even worse, you’ve left something behind?
The world seems to be full of things to consume. While Marie Kondo and Imran Khan might be content with one plate and one spoon, I often seem to give in to the desire to have it all.
“Jitna bhi try karo, life mein kuch na kuch toh chhutega hi.”
Whether it's the shows and movies I watch to unwind or the books I read to escape reality, I often find myself drawn to a certain number. Even before Monday arrived, my Sunday was spent speed-planning through to-do lists for the upcoming week and figuring out how I could maximise my productivity. Yes, to some extent, this can be considered a form of planning. At the beginning of 2025, I decided I wanted to be one of those people who set goals and met them without pushing them to the next quarter or year. But this does mean slowing down doesn't feel like an option anymore. Slowing down only makes me feel like I’m way too slow.
Instagram seems to be full of reels that say ‘I forgot that the whole point was this,' and while I get what they mean, I can't help but wonder how people forget the whole other point of adulting? Where do I find the balance between we're only young once and the young years are for hustling?
I read another post that said, “Stop healing. Go batshit insane. Do it for the plot.” I must admit, I am highly tempted. Millennials appear to be getting the short end of the stick at present. We aren't cool anymore. We were supposed to have made a lot of money by now, but I don't think that's the case for many, and we float about in a sea of nostalgia at all times. Haven’t we crossed the point of insanity?
Someday, I’d like to believe I’ll ask the world to slow down, to breathe, to disappear for a while. Someday, I will experience it all myself. Until then, I hope Vienna and the whole world wait a little for me. I’m slow, but hopefully, I'm getting there.