When Fast Stopped Mattering
These days, I’m not chasing speed like I used to. Don’t get me wrong—hearing a revving engine still gives me that little nostalgic thrill, and I aim to get my dream motorcycle. But what I actually enjoy now? Morning coffee. A song I’ve heard a hundred times. Laughing with a friend as the day starts.
That need to keep achieving, keep pushing—it just faded away. I still care about this blog and doing good work, but that’s different. That always-pushing feeling I had when I was younger? It lost its hold on me. Now I appreciate the quieter stuff I used to rush past.
What pace feels right for you these days? Has your relationship with time changed as you’ve gotten older?
When Life Forces a Different Speed
Last year changed everything in ways I didn’t see coming. After twenty years together, my wife left Japan for America. We said goodbye with a fist bump in the rain, and suddenly I was starting a completely new chapter.
After she left, I stopped gaming for a while and started learning Japanese—566 mornings in a row now, working through vocabulary. I still mess up pronunciation and grammar constantly. Those were things she handled effortlessly when we traveled together. But showing up every morning gives me something solid to hold onto.
These days I teach English to Japanese students who really want to learn, and farming—growing fruits and vegetables in good soil that keeps me grounded. Both give me purpose without that desperate urgency I used to feel about everything.
That need to accomplish, accomplish, accomplish? It just left. Now it’s just about showing up and doing the work.
Have you ever stepped back from the constant rush? What unexpected things caught your attention when you slowed down?
Finding Calm When Everything’s Loud
When things get overwhelming, I’ve learned to just stop and breathe instead of pushing through. That’s not something that came naturally—I had to learn it after everything fell apart last year.
Even when I game (still Playing Apex Legends as OldDogZeroTricks), I’m not in it for competitive wins anymore. I just like chilling out, and the connection with other players.
My curious students, my farming friends with dirt under their nails—they remind me that connecting with people matters more than checking boxes. Especially when you’re missing someone who used to be there.
What actually keeps you grounded when life feels too loud or too empty?
Finding What Works for You
I’m not saying everyone needs to slow down or give up ambition. We all have to figure out our own path.
Teaching, farming, spending time alone—they’ve taught me that meaning doesn’t come from racing through life. It comes from actually paying attention to what’s happening. I still get frustrated sometimes—wishing dreams would happen faster, before I’m too old to enjoy them. But that’s just how it is.
Whether you’re drawn to a slower pace like I am now, or you still thrive in the fast lane—what actually feels right for you?
Share your thoughts below. I respond to every comment, and your experience often helps others more than mine does.
