When a slow burn is a good thing...

Have you tried using one of the new energy saving light bulbs yet? I did and here is what happened. I put it in the fixture above my desk. I turned the light on and it was SO dim. I thought, “I can’t work like this! I want to save energy but come on...” So I switched it out with a regular bulb and put this one in a different fixture in my office. The next day I turned the light on and began working. I left the room to get something and when I came back I noticed that the energy saving light bulb was burning bright—brighter than the one above my desk. Huh? Is there something wrong with the electrical wiring above my desk, I wondered? So one more time I put the energy saving light bulb in the fixture above my desk. No go. Still dim. Back it went in the other fixture. Over the next few days I started watching this energy saving fixture and here is what I discovered. When I turn the electricity on, the bulb starts out very dim. Slowly, its illumination intensifies and ultimately burns brighter than the regular bulbs.

A few days later my husband forwarded an e-mail to me about how to save gas. The energy-saving tip explained that when you accelerate after being at a full stop, you should do so slowly, easing your foot on the gas with minimal pressure and let the car’s engine kick into gear.

The energy saving metaphor is an apt one for my life. While I have been toying with what it looks like to move at a slightly slower pace, I have been plagued with concerns about productivity and accountability. What these experiences are telling me, though, is that a slow paced start doesn’t ultimately diminish the light or slow the pace. In fact, arguably, it enables brighter more sustained activity.

So the light bulb in my office is now my guide. I start my day at a slower pace. I give myself a chance to get grounded, warm up and move into my day with full confidence that this is my best chance for meeting my day with the energy it deserves. This slower acceleration actually helps me tap into a deeper energy than I might otherwise access.

Will you join me? Where will you choose to slow down?