“You can’t beat me,” boasted the rabbit.
“We’ll see,” replied the turtle.
“I am too fast,” the rabbit taunted, “You cannot win.”
… And the rest of the story is well known.
The folklore of the turtle and the rabbit is embedded deep in our psyches. The story teaches us more than humility and the rewards of working steadily, however, it also serves as a metaphor for anxiety and peace.
When we experience fast-pace thoughts racing through our minds, we are like the rabbit: ever speeding without attention to all that is passed. The faster our thoughts move, the less peace we feel.
We all experience the rabbit within at different points in our lives, and when we do, it might just serve us to remember that the turtle also exists within our psyches.
Anytime our thoughts speed up and we begin to jolt past the present moment, we can look to find the turtle within. Slowing our thoughts down, we are like the turtle: mindful in every step.
Can finding the turtle within really slow our thoughts down?
We’ll see…
If you find your thoughts speeding up this week, consider looking for the turtle within: with deliberate presence, peace ultimately wins.
