Quotessence
Home / Authors / Brooke McAlary Biography

Brooke McAlary Biography

Author

Related Quotes

“I've realized that in order to leave the world a better place than I found it - to be compassionate and caring - I need to be strong, I need to be vulnerable, I need to be healthy and vital and full of good stuff like kindness and generosity and laughter. Not because those things make me a Good Person but because if I have those things, I can turn around and share them.”

CompassionKindnessSlow Living
Book:Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World
Create image

“Technology has become a crutch I'm using to get through an uncomfortable experience. Its a way of putting off the work but still convincing myself I'm doing something worthwhile. Aside from talking to my family, none of it has been worthwhile. In this instance technology is a distraction that is keeping me from feeling uncomfortable, from thinking too deeply, from doing too much. The biggest culprits behind the endless scrolling: - Boredom - procrastination - emotional discomfort - self sabotage - self loathing or dissatisfaction - habit - looking for someone or something to inspire us. Always pay attention to what we're doing and why we're doing it. Use it as a tool, not as a crutch.”

TechnologyMindfulnessBoredomIntentional LivingCrutchSlow LifeTime StealersSlow Down Slow
Book:Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World
Create image

“The idea of balance is a good one, when viewed with two Caveats: 1. Not everything in our lives deserves the same weight. Aim instead for the correct weight. 2. Balance isn't a daily act. Not everything will be given attention every day, and thats ok. The difference is in the weight we give things. Keeping the house immaculately clean doesn't need or deserve the same weight as spending time with our closest people. We know this, but the myth of balance tells us otherwise. It keeps us perched on the wavering tightrope, terrified of falling too far into unbalance. Because we know an imbalanced person isn't stable. They're not succeeding or adulating or kicking goals or coping. And we don't want to be one of those people. So we balance. We exhaust ourselves. We're never fully in a moment, because we're worried about all the other areas of our lives that aren't getting our attention in that moment. We've turned balance into a constant struggle rather than a long game. Discover long term balance.”

BalanceWeightLet GoPrioritizeLong Game
Book:Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World
Create image

“permission. You are allowed to make changes to the way you're living. You're allowed to look after yourself. You're allowed to decide what is important to you. And you're allowed to create a life with those things at the center. It's OK to go slowly. It's OK to say no. It's OK to be different. And it's OK to let go of caring about the Joneses. Just don't replace them with a new set. Instead, create a life full of things that matter to you, and watch as the world revels beauty and humanity and connection.”

DifferentCreate Your LifeIts Okay To Be DifferentIts Okay To Be HappyPermissionn
Book:Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World
Create image

“What can we do to maintain slowness in the face of those periods of busyness? How can we avoid overload, exhaustion, or even burnout? Perhaps unsurprisingly, my answer is simply to pay attention. I recognize the way I'm inclined to stay up late, the way I will procrastinate at every option- and instead of spiraling into that overwhelming sense of too much, I check in with myself. Why am I feeling this way? What has changed? What is there more of? What is there less of? Become better at recognizing the signs of a looming backslide and pay close attention to the areas of our lives that have the greatest impact, ensuring they never slip too far out of hand. Nicholas Bate refers to this regular checking in as "taking your MEDS" or more specifically, paying attention to: - Mindfulness - Exercise - Diet - Sleep Once I recognize which of these areas has changed, its simpler (not necessarily easier) to recognize the issue and start fixing it. Sometimes the changes aren't in my control, so I need to look for ways of finding slow by creating more opportunities for a moment of deep breathing or paying close attention to whats in front of me. But other times, I've simply lost sight of what works, and its a matter of adding more of these things I've neglected- Mindfulness, simplicity, kindness- and reducing the things that don't serve me well. Above all else, though, I simply go back to my Why. I call to mind the foundation of this life I want. The vivid imaging of a life well lived. The loved ones, the generosity, the adventure, and the world I want to leave behind. And if that feels too big, I call to mind even smaller reminders, like the warm pressure of my kids hands in mine, the wholeness of a good conversation with Ben, the lightness of simply sitting quietly. Our Why is the antidote to overload. Its a call back to the important things and a reminder that we don't need to carry the weight of everything- only those things that are important to us.”

MindfulnessImportant ThingsSlow DownQuestionSlownessRecognizeCheck InYour Why
Book:Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World
Create image