You don't have to succeed – Finding peace in a slow life.

I hope this video brings you a moment of peace and inspires you to slow down daily life in winter just a little with me today.

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Hello everyone!

Winter came so fast this year. Only two weeks ago I sat in front of my camera complaining to you about how plain our winters get here, with little snow and not much beauty, and overnight the world around me decided to completely change into a winter wonderland of frosty pine trees under a blanket of beautiful, fluffy snow. Growing up closer to cities than nature, I never liked winter but these moments have made me fall in love with it just a little bit.
Unfortunately I physically cannot handle the cold very well and struggle with numbness in my feet and hands whenever the temperatures drop too low – no matter how weather appropriately I dress. But this walk in my neighboring forest was very much worth the cold toes! I have enjoyed every minute.
Wildlife is so quiet right now. The woods are nearly silent this time of year but sometimes the snow makes it possible to find traces, even hoofs or paws of different animals.

January is a strange time of year I think. We celebrate a new year and have all these desires for rebirth and growth and a fresh start when in reality, January is a time of deep rest. This becomes so obvious to me when walking through these woods. Nature knows that we shouldn’t bother with goals and resolutions just yet. There will be time for all of that in spring. So I try to take this time slower than my mind wants to. Give myself permission to sleep more and longer, letting the hours of light and dark guide my rhythm a bit more as much as it is possible of course. Sadly, our societies and work schedules don’t follow these natural cycles at all and many of us are still forced to get out of bed hours before the sun rises. Still, I try to focus on peace and gentleness this time of year. Spending more time on the sofa, reading more, working more on creative projects and reminding myself that the true time for rebirth is a few months away.
Most of all, I try to reassure myself that I don't need to be bursting with energy and motivation to achieve a hundred goals right now in this first week of January. I have time, a whole entire year, to achieve everything I hope for or nothing at all! I think we are often taught to believe that we are these endless projects to optimize and improve. I choose to see myself not as a self help, productivity project but simply a human being. If I stay at this point in my life forever, I want to feel at peace with who I am, how I spend my time and how I love the people and earth around me - today. Not in five years or after retirement. I used to believe in racing through life to get to some kind of imagined finish line that would mean I succeeded. I was someone. I did something extraordinary. I achieved everything. I don’t think that way anymore. Maybe today can be successful enough. Maybe there is no race at all and all that truly matters is our time well spent, whatever that means to ourselves. For me it means being in nature, being creative and enjoying good food and company. Safety, peace and health.

I wonder what it means to you.

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