Slowing Down, But Still Growing

Slowing down.

Those were the words on my mind today.

And indeed, I recognize that I am slowing down—but perhaps not in the way people might think.

I am still active. I’m still teaching exercise classes. I’m still moving, creating, thinking, and looking forward to what’s next. But even with exercise, I find myself enjoying a slowed-down version of some of the things I used to do.

Take my power walking aerobics classes.

There was a time when I was fixed on the music being 150 to 160 BPM. Faster! More energy! Keep it moving!

Today?

Give me 140 BPM. And sometimes, give me something even slower.

And you know what? I’m okay with that.

My body is adjusting, and I am learning to listen to it.

At age 70, I accept that I don't have to do fast-paced workouts anymore just to prove I still can. As high-energy as I am, some people might be surprised to hear me say that.

But I have come to realize something:

My life is growing, not slowing down.

I'm simply finding different ways to use my energy and creativity while respecting my body.

I Used to Laugh at Slowing Down

I used to laugh at the idea of slowing down and taking casual walks.

Now I love them.

There is something enjoyable about walking without feeling that I have to turn every walk into a workout. I can simply move, look around, think, and enjoy where I am.

Yes, sometimes my back aches. Sometimes I have to slow down, sit for 30 seconds, let my body settle, and then continue.

Years ago, I might not have understood that.

Now, when someone tells me, “Paul Eugene, I need to slow down for a minute,” I understand.

Maybe that is one of the gifts that comes with getting older.

We begin to understand things that we couldn't fully understand when we were younger.

But My Mind? That's Another Story!

My body may be asking me to slow the pace occasionally, but my mind hasn't received that memo!

My mind is as busy as ever.

I see new ways of doing things. I think about new adventures. New ideas come to me. I want to create. I want to learn. I want to explore what might be possible in the years ahead.

That keeps life exciting for me.

I've made a vow to myself that I will not let “the old man” take over—not in the sense of simply sitting still, doing nothing, and no longer using my mind to create.

I believe we need to keep our minds active just as we keep our bodies active.

Perhaps even more so.

Keep learning.

Keep wondering.

Keep creating.

Keep dreaming.

Keep giving yourself something to look forward to.

There may come a time when the body says, “Paul Eugene, we're doing this a little slower today.”

Okay.

But slower doesn't mean stopped.

Now I Understand

When I look back at my younger days, I remember seeing older people entering their slower season of life.

I used to say:

“Not me!”

I couldn't imagine myself slowing down.

But the truth is, I didn't understand them.

I hadn't lived long enough yet.

Maybe they weren't giving up.

Maybe they weren't losing their zest for life.

Maybe they had simply learned something that I had not learned yet:

Every season of life has its own rhythm.

And perhaps wisdom is learning to move with that rhythm instead of constantly fighting against it.

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

There is a time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to uproot.A time to weep and a time to laugh.A time to mourn and a time to dance.A time to be silent and a time to speak.A time to love and a time for peace.

Life has seasons.

I'm discovering that this season doesn't have to look like the seasons that came before it.

Maybe I don't need 160 BPM anymore.

Maybe a casual walk is enough sometimes.

Maybe stopping for 30 seconds isn't weakness. Maybe it's wisdom.

And maybe slowing down in one area of life gives us room to grow in another.

I'm still moving.

I'm still creating.

I'm still dreaming.

I'm still discovering.

I'm still excited about the years ahead.

So yes, I'm slowing down.

But I'm certainly not finished.

And perhaps that's the lesson I'm learning in this season of my life:

You don't have to keep moving at the same speed to keep moving forward.

So I leave you with a question today:

What time is it in your life?

What season are you in right now?

And instead of fighting that season, what might happen if you embraced what it has come to teach you?

Paul Eugene