The articles on this sub-menu appear on my business website where I work as a business book ghostwriter. But “slow” is a serious topic and has many relevant applications for all aspects of life, from business to personal relationships.

Many years ago, I was browsing in a bookstore on College Avenue in Oakland where I came across Josef Pieper’s book, Leisure: The Basis of Culture. At the time, I was part of a group that practiced the Socratic method of investigating questions rather than coming up with pat answers. Piper’s book made a strong impression on me with its criticism of what he called the total world of work. In a nutshell, all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.

Leisure allows us to cultivate ourselves. We take on meaningful interests. But we need the time, energy, and resources to do so. I know first-hand how exhausting it is to work three jobs a day and have no time for anything else. Circumstances dictate how much time we have for ourselves, but making more of it, in my opinion, is a worthwhile aspiration.

Time is a non-renewable resource. We only get one childhood, youth, middle-, and (if we’re lucky) old-age. Piper argues that the total world of work destroys culture because there is no time and energy left over for developing our natural curiosity, meaningful activity, and connection. And when we rush through life we can easily forget the timeless wisdom of moderation in all things.

Festina Lente (make haste slowly).