Have you ever stopped abruptly or have been forced to stop?

This happened to my family and I. We were driving along the M62 summit, the highest point of any motorway in England, when we came to a sudden halt by traffic jam.

At first, we chatted about what might have caused such a stand still.

We said a prayer as we thought about what might have happened ahead of us.

After an hour, we were beyond frustration and the car seemed to have gotten smaller.

It felt like we were hijacked and forced to stay still.

As we ventured out of our vehicle along with other travellers, we gasped as we noted that we were now walking in the middle of one of the busiest motorways. 

We were on the M62 summit which is the highest point of the motorway.

As we became more intentional in accepting that we were at a standstill, we began to notice the beauty of the surroundings.

The landmarks which were blurred were now more distinct.

There was also beauty in the distance which we could not have spotted had we been moving at motorway speed.

It does make a such a difference when we slow down intentionally although sometimes, we are forced by poor health, redundancy or like us a traffic jam.

Slowing intentionally can be very useful with helping us to see more, hear more and feel more.

A slower pace can help with thoughtful decision making, with managing emotions and even help to reduce anxiety and stress.

I wonder what would be the benefit for you to intentionally slow down and take the time to smell the roses?