The Men of Iron Minute
by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation
Slowing Down Before You Speed Up
So, I am sitting in an Atlanta Bread Co. one morning drinking bland coffee and eating a warm bagel. The laptop is open, and I am entrenched in a writing project. This isn’t my usual routine, but I am grasping this moment like a boy flying a kite in a 30mph wind. A series of circumstances led me to be out of the office for the day, and I didn’t mind the change of pace. As I am working on an honorary doctorate in people-watching and busily typing away, three groups of people caught my eye. The three groups were all spread out, but they all had the same look. They were all older folks sitting in their typical seats, talking their usual talk, oblivious to time. They gave the impression that they had nothing better to do than sit and slow drink cups of coffee all morning long and catch up on the recent gossip and lies (some call it politics).
These types of usual suspects are found all over the place. Every nook and cranny and corner café around the world provides an opportunity for such people to intermix. I remember seeing “these” people in Italy, France, and Spain while hunting for the perfect cappuccino. These people are as common as sin. As the smell of freshly baked bagels filled the air, my glance became a stare. I was intrigued and envious of their pace, laughter, and pure joy of being together. The need for connection prevails through every human being. If you don’t believe me, you skeptics should look up all the “one another’s” in the New Testament.”
These three groups typify this…
The Trappist, Thomas Merton, was right, “We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another.
There was something wholesome and pure about this moment. I tend to be a person who runs wide open. Productivity is only slowed by reading books on productivity. Their pace was a stark difference. They slowed down long enough to enjoy one another. It turns out that there is more to life than getting things done. What a thought. What a gift.
The shelves at your grocery stores are being stocked with the usual Christmas fare, and you know what that means… busyness. It means that once again, we can attempt the impossible feat of loading 30 hours’ worth of life into the 24 hours God gave us. We aren’t stuck. We could go with another option. Slow down before life speeds up.
Your schedule is your choice. Your pace is within your grasp.
“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.”
Henry Van Dyke
Sip the coffee.
Enjoy the people.
Watch time standstill.
Be a mentor.
Find a mentor.
Be a better man.
Contact our team today to find out how you can become a mentor, find a mentor and be a better man! And DO NOT forget to check out The Men of Iron Podcast – Be the Boss (EP. 91)