#7 Living Lightly: Breaking Free from a Driven Life

How slowing down helped me notice what I’d been missing all along.

I was driving from the mountains above Byron Bay one morning, heading toward a beachside town to have a break. It had been a long, full week, and this was my first moment alone in a while. The sun had come out. The sky was that brilliant kind of blue. I rolled the windows down and felt the warmth on my skin. I had nowhere to go, no one to see, nothing really to do. For the first time in days, I felt myself breathe a little more deeply—and I was coming alive.

Have you ever had that experience? You suddenly realise the relentlessness of just living, or the demands of work, or a health or family issue get in the way of you stopping and breathing and letting yourself live? These are rare days for me—maybe for anyone—so this felt really special.

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present." Bill Keane

Always Driving, Never Arriving

I kept thinking how great it was going to be to get to this beachside town, where I'd walk on the sand, find a café, enjoy a coffee, and write in my journal. I felt great and was driving hard to get there. I do that a lot—drive hard, I mean. Driving has always been a great metaphor for the way I live. People say I’m driven, and I know it’s true. But I’ll let you in on a little secret—I’m not always sure where I’m going or why I’m driving so hard. Could be personality, could be learned behaviour, but whatever it is, I don’t think it’s always that healthy.

The trouble was that today, by focusing ahead on where I was going, I wasn’t being present. I was missing the incredible scenery all around me as I made my way down the mountain. That’s a pattern I’ve seen in myself—so fixed on what’s next that I miss the here and now.

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why." Eddie Cantor

The Temptation to Rush: Insights from Jesus

Jesus knows all about this temptation. I feel like he was speaking directly to me when he said, “Do not worry about tomorrow... each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

While that’s more about worry and stress, it also points to our tendency to stop living in the now because we're fixated on what’s next. My cultural context often rewards goal setting and productivity. It gets stuff done—but it can be exhausting and create stress, because we never slow down, turn off, or become mindful of what’s around us. A world like mine is probably where the saying “Slow down and smell the roses” comes from.

Slowing Down to Notice the Hidden Gems

So I did something I rarely do. I pulled over.

I stepped out of the car. Took some deep breaths. Looked around and just stood there for a while, breathing the clear air and enjoying the sun on my skin.

The journey I was already on was just as beautiful, and likely just as full of hidden little gems, as the destination was going to be. It took slowing down—and even stepping out of the car—to notice this. That was the shift: realising the journey matters just as much as the destination. Maybe more.

"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have." Eckhart Tolle

I got back in the car. This time, I drove slower. I breathed. I noticed things. I slowed my breathing deliberately and relaxed. I hadn’t been stressed; I was just in a hurry. And because of that, I was missing the ‘here and now’—which was stunningly beautiful and incredibly peaceful. There was no meeting to get to, no problem to solve. That’s unusual for me. So rather than rush, I slowed down and took it all in.

Embracing the Unforced Rhythms of Grace

One of my favorite paraphrases of scripture comes from Matthew 11, The Message:

"Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Jesus wasn’t rushed. He wasn’t in a frantic hurry. He noticed people. He paused. He wept. He ate with friends. He walked in nature. He lived.

And if I want to live like him, I have to slow down long enough to see what is now—not just what’s next.

The Challenge of Living in the Present

What about you? Maybe your life feels like a blur right now. Maybe you’re always looking ahead—to the next deadline, the next crisis, the next calm in the storm. Maybe the idea of slowing down feels indulgent or even irresponsible.

But what if it’s actually essential?

If we want to live well—to develop resilience and experience some inner peace—we need to learn to be present. That might be really difficult for you. It might even feel unnatural. But it's where real life happens.

Life's richness is found in the intentional moments of stillness, where we engage with the present and savor the beauty that surrounds us." (Inspired by Mark John Comer's teachings)

God has given us a beautiful world. Let’s not rush through it so fast we forget to live in it.

I haven’t perfected this yet, but whenever I think back to this drive, it reminds me again that there’s a better way to live. It’s about being present and noticing what’s around us, rather than rushing through it in the desire to get to where we're going.

What was next for me after this? I was off to the beach — just a little more slowly and intentionally this time.

And I hope you find your own moment this week to slow down and do something similar.

Questions to Reflect on.

Where in your life are you rushing toward something good but missing the beauty that’s right in front of you?
Where in your daily routine do you feel most rushed or disconnected — whether that’s driving to work, doing chores around the house, or even just moving through your to-do list — and what might it look like to approach those moments with more presence, peace, or grace?

From Reflection to Action: (These are just suggestions – maybe choose 1 or 2 to try)

Pause and Reflect – Take a moment to reflect on your own life. Are you caught in the rush of tomorrow, or are you savouring the beauty of what's now? Look around you right now. Notice the things that bring you joy.
Try a Slow Day – Pick a day to intentionally slow down. Eliminate unnecessary rush and stress. Take a deep breath, enjoy the simple moments, and be present. Do what helps you come alive: a long, slow walk, visit a café, set up a picnic rug in a park. Notice what changes when you stop.
Share Your Journey – Talk with someone who's also trying to slow down. Share your experiences of shifting from rushing ahead to looking around. Your story might encourage them.
Explore Matthew 11 (The Message) – Read and sit with the words about living freely and lightly. What do they stir in you?
Explore Inspiring Reads – e.g. 📖 The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Tune into Encouraging Podcasts: Boost your resilience with these stories from the Resilient Souls podcast or learn more about reducing hurry and stress through John Mark Comer Teachings – Podcast

Bible verses about Living in the Moment:

Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message): "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 6:34 (NLT): "So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."
Psalm 46:10 (NLT): "Be still and know that I am God!”
Philippians 4:6-7 (CEV): "Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything with thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel."
Isaiah 30:15 (NIV): “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...”

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