Slow the F*ck Down – Easy Does It
Because everything's bonkers
Via realfunwow.com
BOOKS / READS
Hotly anticipated, Kate Baer’s new book of poems came out in November last year. Reading her poems is like having a brutally honest heart-to-heart with yourwisest, slightly exasperated friend – someone who sees you, knows what’s real, and refuses to sugarcoat life. The book tackles motherhood, marriage, growing older, and the tension of wanting and losing – all in bite-size poems that both sting and soothe. These poems are like having a mirror held up to the everyday, whispering: ‘How about now?’
Ram Dass’ Be Here Now remains a quietly radical touchstone in modern spiritual writing – even if it’s a bit of a weird read, which is what I love about it. The book’s opening memoir traces Richard Alpert’s shift from Harvard psychologist to seeker with disarming honesty, grounding the book in a rare mix of intellect and humility. The book’s a reminder that spiritual insight is availableto anyone willing to pause and go within. In a time crowded with polished mindfulness trends, Ram Dass’s voice continues to offer something simpler and more human. The book’s lasting gift is its gentle insistence that the present moment is enough. If you’re good to go a bit woo woo, this one’s for you.
TOOLS / BITS and BOBS
Berliner Bär Generator Because ein Stück alte Heimat (a piece of home as the Germans say) and because generally a fun idea!
Bauhaus Clock Screensaver Because I’m a sucker for really good design (mac only).
British and Exotic Mineralogy If ever you needed a screen space to slow down, this would be the place to go. Browse 2,242 beautiful illustrations from James Sowerby’s compendium of knowledge about mineralogy in Great Britain and beyond.
PEOPLE / PLACES
Sometimes you’ll get to a place and just know that you’ve arrived. More than that: you’ll feel it. You won’t need to talk about it. You won’t need to post about. You’ll just arrive and know and be. This place doesn’t have a great internet connection, is a good 30 min. drive from the next grocery shop and is surrounded by forest and lakes. I was lucky enough to stay at Die Fellerei (a former brewery and now a hotel) for a few days, enjoy lovingly cooked organic meals, long walks and yoga with Kerstin (current owner). If you’re looking to get away, slow down and simply arrive, this might be the place. And, if on the off chance, you’re looking to get into thehospitality business yourself, this might be just what you’ve been looking for. Kerstin and Tobias are currently looking for successors to take on this gorgeous country house in the Harz Mountains.
One to watch: Rory Oxenham.
Belonging, safety and dignity in the world of business. Isn’t that something to strive for? Something to stand for even when it’s hard and goes against the grain of the ‘Better, faster, more’ narratives we’ve all been indoctrinated to believe are normal?
Rory’s a community and IRL event maker that helps brands grow in a more connected, human way. I don’t know him personally. But he’s got a point about doing business right these days: ‘Something’s shifting in the way we build’. Read his in post on the topic here if you’d like. I totally resonated with this. Can you feel the shift?
AI
I recently wrote an in post on how to spot AI-generated text. It’s still a question I get asked a lot by clients from all walks. Things will continue to change fast with AI, so keeping up will be important, but only to a degree. I say only to a degree, because even though AI is a great tool, deep knowledge of a subject trumps an AI that still can’t quite write, source, reference or punctuate right. And that’s a good thing, because to quote Ryan Holiday: ‘To use these tools well – to not be used by them – you need exactly the things we’re told are becoming obsolete.’ Namely a deep knowledge of things and the human touch. Things only you’re very good at. Things that are unique to what you bring to the world.
STUFF to PONDER on
That
One Lego brick
Must-have toy
Candy
Birthday invitation
Person
Feeling
Date
First kiss
Morning after
Holiday
Envy-inducing gig/job/promotion/whatever …
Pair of shoes
Bag
Jacket
Car
House
Bigger house
Holiday home
Deal
Win
Specific number of likes/followers
Viral post
Better-than-yesterday.
We all do it all the time.
Chase, chase, chase.
Success, control, attention, validation, love.
So, hello, 2026.
May you be all about
Stopping more
Slowing down
Stillness
Inner peace
Knowing
Being > doing
Enough
Arriving
Home
Wherever.
— Jen Mooney
GIF of the MOMENT
