A review by coolcatalycat
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World by Haemin Sunim

3.5

I’ve been meaning to read this for a while. The title really caught my attention. I’ve noticed lately how slowing down has really affected my life. Sometimes I catch myself walking too fast and the moment I begin to walk slower, I feel calmer. The same goes for eating. When we begin to slow down, we learn how to be mindful. It is crucial for us to slow down, but living in a fast paced society makes it hard to do so. How we choose to live everyday, is how we choose to live our lives. If we are longing for tranquility, we have to start with paying attention to how we behave in a day. When I began to live my days with the intention of feeling present instead of feeling productive, I noticed how easy it was to slow down, and life became more enjoyable. I was able to see more beauty in the mundane, and simple moments became precious and special. We must ask ourselves what we truly want from life (without anyone else’s expectations or opinions) and act accordingly

This book was really sweet and the author is so wholesome. I noticed the writing style right away and it was only then that I realized I read a book by this author before (and didn’t love it). Maybe knowing that one chapter in, affected the rest of the book for me. I kind of wasn’t that interested. But as I read more, I decided to be more open minded. My ego (thinking it knows everything) would probably skim over some hidden, crucial points, even if the book felt simple. I found a few, but they weren’t life changing. I truly believe you can find meaning in anything, if you’re open to it. I think Sunim wrote something similar in one of these chapters. 

It was still sweet though and I believe is still worth the read. I just wish it was more essay based. I would’ve loved to hear more through his perspective.