Have You Ever Wanted to Freeze Time and Just Stop for a While?

Personal Story

Have you ever wanted to freeze time? Have you ever felt like you were being pulled along by a river? As if days, hours, and minutes zoom by so fast.

I've been feeling this way for a while now. Whenever I lose focus, life takes over. Sometimes it's a wave of worry, while other times it's an issue that gets too much attention. It also happens when I rush through tasks that need to be done.

At some point, I realize that time is slipping away, days are passing by. I don't get what's going on. It's like someone else is living my life and I'm just watching it unfold.

When that happens, I always want to take a step back and look at everything from a distance. But it's often impossible. Life always finds something to throw at me. Sometimes it's my desires, sometimes various problems, and sometimes my responsibilities/duties. They speed everything up.

It's hard to stop and look at everything with a fresh perspective. There's always a feeling of compression, rush, must do, and must finish. It's as if we're always in a race. Living without rushing and just enjoying it is getting harder and harder, especially in big cities where the lifestyle is mostly like this.

But why?

Thich Nhat Hanh said something insightful about this in his book "The Healing Steps":

I had become so accustomed to running, as mentioned in the quote. I was afraid to stop. I feared falling behind, being unhappy, and being alone. I worried about what would happen if I slowed down.

One day, despite all these fears, I stopped. Or rather, life stopped me.

I didn't do anything for a while. I stopped to look, to see, and to understand.

Many things came to light as I reflected on my life. I discovered the burdens I had been carrying without realizing it, which I discussed in my previous post (you can access it here).

But there was something else I became aware of. Something important.

I used to believe that happiness was always somewhere other than the present moment. I always thought "If I do this, things will be great," or "If I get there, I'll be happy."

I chased those illusions. I constantly run from place to place, task to task. I fixated on a distant future, hoping to find happiness somewhere down the road.

In doing so, I forgot to enjoy life. I was always doing something, reading, planning, and pushing off happiness, peace, and other good things. I waited for the perfect moment to live, but it never arrived.

However, life is actually flowing right now, in the place where you stop.

Maybe you've felt it before. When you're doing something you love, like walking, sipping coffee, or watching a beautiful view, you don't think about what happened yesterday or what you'll do tomorrow. There's no judgment or evaluation mechanism in your mind at those times. You just stop and enjoy what you are experiencing. When you do that, time expands, and you feel alive.

Imagine applying this mindset to your entire life. Think about how fulfilling and authentic your life would become.

When I stripped away everything and stopped, that was what I experienced. I didn't have to wait for anything or postpone anything. I could experience whatever was there in that moment, whether pleasurable or painful. It doesn’t matter.

Seeing what is happening, experiencing it, and enjoying it in every way was beautiful. Stopping made it possible. It was like a door opening to life.

I know it can be scary to break habits, routines, some thought patterns. However, we can still take occasional breaks, even if we can't do it constantly. We can silence those voices that keep turning in our minds for a while.

Nothing catastrophic will happen if we do. The end of the world won't come right now.

There is not much thing that urgent. You don’t need to rush like that.

Let's take a moment to enjoy what we have. I'm sure there are beautiful things in your life.

Questions

When I think about stopping or slowing down, a few good questions come to my mind.

I ask them to myself whenever I feel lost in time.

Here is a list of questions related to this month's theme:

• What is my relationship with speed and rushing in my life? How does it affect me?
• How do I feel about the present moment? Do I feel like I'm always chasing after a distant future or think about past? Or am I in the present moment?
• Do I feel like I'm being carried away by life? Do I feel like time is passing too quickly? What situations cause this feeling?
• What can I do to slow down and live in the moment? How can I incorporate the philosophy and methods of being present into my life? What changes can I make to live more mindfully and in the moment?
• How often do I take a break from my mental chatter and simply breathe? How can I do this more often?
• Am I afraid of stopping and confronting with reality?

Books

As Eddie Cantor once said:

Slowing down and finding moments of calm is difficult. We’re living in a culture which drive us into a constant state of hustle and bustle.

Still, there are ways to step away from this rush and find peace. Take a walk, listen to music, or enjoy a cup of coffee.

For me, the most effective way to slow down and find calm is through reading. That's why I want to share some books that have this effect on me with you. They also approach stopping from different perspectives.

Beth Kempton, “Wabi Sabi”

First book is Wabi Sabi by Beth Kempton. The book provides philosophy called "Wabi Sabi".

In essence, Wabi Sabi is the act of taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. She shares examples of Wabi Sabi practices throughout the book. She also explains how the Japanese integrate it into their lives.

This book is a great resource for both philosophical and practical aspects of slowing down and taking a break.

Carlo Petrini & Gigi Padovani, “Slow Food Revolution”

Second book is Slow Food Revolution. It tells the story of a movement towards slowing down. Although the story approaches the issue from a nutritional perspective, I still wanted to share it. Because the movement's philosophy includes slowing down and stopping.

Christophe Andre, “Mindfulness”

A book about mindfulness would fit very well with this list, as it involves slowing down and stopping.

Christophe André blends art with meditation beautifully, adding a touch of stillness to the practice.

Throughout the book, you can feel the peace that comes from pausing and taking a break.

Haemin Sunim, “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down“

In his book, Haemin Sunim talks about the importance of slowing down and taking breaks. The book provides comforting and thought-provoking insights on various topics, emphasizing the benefits of slowing down and taking a break.

While reading, I was impressed by specific sections that could be seen as excellent quotes on their own.

These parts made me pause and contemplate, giving me a fresh sense of awareness. For instance, take a look at the following quote:

T. Nhat Hanh, "Healing Steps"

When we say "let's stop," we mean let's take one step closer to mindfulness. In T. Nhat Hanh's book "The Healing Steps," he helps us understand mindfulness in a simple and easy-to-follow way. Just like Haemin Sunim's book, it has many parts that make you think deeply.

Carl Honore, “In Praise of Slowness”

Carl Honore talks about how everything in our modern world is fast-paced, and he gives many examples of it in our daily lives. Then he explores the idea of slowness and gives advice on how we can incorporate it into our lives. Honore encourages us to take a break and embrace this philosophy by urging us to slow down and stop.

Eckhart Tolle, “The Power of Now”

It would be a mistake not to mention Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now, which revolutionized my life. This book helped me understand the concept of living in the present moment. I read it many times and applied its teachings into my life.

We often think nonstop, which makes us tired and trapped in a never-ending cycle. Many of us don't even realize this. He offers guidance on how to comprehend and escape from this cycle.

As mentioned earlier, these books focus on and teach the philosophy and techniques of stopping, slowing down, and being mindful. They all contribute to personal growth in their own unique way.

However, a chapter in a novel can also be powerful in bringing us back to the present moment. For example, Oğuz Atay's words eloquently depict the concept of slowness:

Movies

Watching a good movie can help us relax and take a break from our busy lives.

Here are some movies that not only explore the idea of slowing down but also slow us down as we watch them.

Into The Wild

The first movie on the list is Into The Wild. When I think about making life simpler, calming the mind, and enjoying every moment after leaving everything behind, Christopher's face comes to mind.

His story of choosing a slow and enjoyable life over the busy modern society is inspiring. He encourages us to take a break and put our worries aside. We can join Christopher on his journey of leaving everything behind, and imagine ourselves in his shoes.

About Time

About Time tells the story of a man who has the ability to travel back in time and correct mistakes or change his behavior.

Imagine being able to freeze time and go back like Tim's father, just to read countless books. Imagine having all the time in the world to do whatever you want. It's as if time has paused. In that moment, we could put aside our worries, take a moment to reflect, and truly consider what we desire. While watching the movie, this question crossed my mind: What would I do if I had such an opportunity? Or maybe we already have that kind of opportunity right now.

Inception

It's impossible to talk about the theme of this concept without mentioning Inception. The movie explores the concept of dreams within dreams and the slowing down of time as one dives into layers of dreams.

This way, decades can pass within a dream, yet only a short period of time in reality. This option makes all the hectic and chaotic aspects of daily life meaningless and unnecessary.

Imagine if we lived in the world of Inception, where everyone could take a break from the rush and dive into their dreams. Life would pause, and we would have the space to breathe and enjoy our dreams amidst all the chaos. Watching this movie filled me with that kind of freedom.

If you've watched it before, I recommend watching it again from this perspective.

Last Samurai

In this movie, the way of life in Katsumoto's village symbolizes stillness and slowness. The villagers lives at a slow pace, taking their time to digest everything and enjoy the present moment without rushing. Even the simplest tasks are performed with extreme care. In fact, everyone in the village is able to stop and achieve a state of stillness.

This level of awareness is essential to being present. This movie beautifully touches on this.

Cast Away

In this movie, Chuck Noland finds himself stranded on an island against his will, detached from the rest of the world. Everything that mattered to him in the normal world loses its significance: his profession, society, ambitions, and many other things.

Chuck is forced to stop and detach from everything, which is how he realizes the truly valuable things in life.

This raises the question: Do we have to be stopped by an illness or a different event, or can we simply stop and look around right now?

While I was watching the movie, I started thinking about what it would be like to be stranded on an island like that. It made me realize how important it is to focus on what truly matters.

Peaceful Warrior

Peaceful Warrior tells a beautiful story about how life can stop us if we do not stop ourselves by putting aside our ambitions and egos.

The movie follows the life of an overly ambitious and egotistical gymnast, Dan, and a man named Socrates who teaches him life lessons.

Socrates is mentally calm, while Dan is the opposite. As I watched these two contrasting characters, I related more to Dan. Socrates' words often helped me calm down when my ego was causing chaos while watching the movie.

Isn't our constant rush, speed, and goal-oriented living caused by our egos? We are always focused on becoming something, reaching somewhere. We believe that we will only be satisfied, happy, and peaceful once we get there. We have a desire to ignore and avoid the present moment, and to accelerate time.

However, life is flowing right now. If we take a break from our mental chatter and simply breathe, we can find peace and contentment in the present moment.

If you're looking for a way to unwind and take a break from the rush of everyday life, these movies will be perfect for you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

If you want more concepts like this one, you can click here.