“I’m in a hurry to get things done; I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I really gotta do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.” — Alabama

Baseball season is just around the corner, and once again there’s talk about the pace of the game. In fact, this year Major League Baseball is putting in a few new rules to speed up each contest.
Call me old-fashioned, but I like baseball just the way it is. When I go to a game, I expect to be able to settle in for a few hours and escape the worries of the world, which will be waiting for me at my front door once the game is over.
The average time for a baseball game these days is just over three hours. I guess if I was one of those folks who attended every game, maybe that would seem like a long time. But I’m lucky to get to a handful of games throughout the season. When I arrive at the stadium, I want to make a day of it — or at least half a day. If baseball is our national pastime, then let it be so.
It is an irony of our present-day lives that modern technology that saves us time, but actually creates more time for us to do more things, resulting in our lives being fast-paced and more hectic than ever. It seems as though we hurry through life so much that we forget it is the journey, not the destination, that is most important. One has to wonder how we lost our way.
The good news is we have a choice. All we need to do is decide that we are going to take a slower approach to life. This may be my age talking, but I’m adopting the “go slow” motto.
Also know that most people who take things slow are extremely productive and great achievers. It would be wrong to associate going slow with being lazy; there is a big difference. So here are some suggestions you can try to slow things down and make life more enjoyable and meaningful.

• First, less is more. Ever find yourself doing so many things at one time that you can’t complete anything? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Multi-tasking was the buzzword of the 1990s, but research now indicates that multi-tasking is very counterproductive. Even more interesting is the notion that “your brain is able to focus deeply on only one task at a time,” says Dr. JoAnn Deak, a noted educator and psychologist. Moreover, she indicates that doing too many tasks at once causes the brain to lose the capacity for deep thinking altogether. Yikes!
• Disconnect so you can connect. How many times do you catch yourself checking your emails, texts or phone messages? Family gatherings have become technology symposiums. Staying connected through technology all day will lead to a disconnection with the people you care about most. Stop the madness and enjoy your family and friends.
• Breathe. It is the single most-important thing we do to keep ourselves alive, so it must be important. Over time, we become inefficient breathers. Take time each day to focus on breathing and the way you breathe. Some people call this meditation, and still others move into a more spiritual state of prayer and worship. The end result is one of re-creation and refreshment.
Go slow, my friends.

DeLong is the executive director of the Suites at Station Exchange. Call him at 912-531-7867 or go to www.thesuitesatstationexchange.com.