Savoring as Resilience Practice

Thanks to Michelle Trotter-Mathison for sharing this Great Idea in her LeaderWise post, Savoring as a Resilience Practice.

Trotter-Mathison writes, ‘I have run this route hundreds of times and never paused to appreciate the beauty of the leaves in the sunshine… This is savoring – the act of enjoying and reveling in what is already there – of highlighting the positive experiences and tuning into the sensory experience of it all.’

She offers the example of Austria’s ‘coffee culture’ as another example of ‘savoring the simple pleasure of…coffee’ as part of a routine, avoiding rushing, and ‘an invitation to stop and enjoy what is already there’.

Michelle invites reflection with the following questions:

• Think of a typical day in your life, can yo make a list of the opportunities you have to savor?
• What is something you often rush through and miss all or part of the experience that you might – even just once – stop to savor?
• Lying in bed int eh morning, can you think of one thing you are looking forward to and then when ti comes, really tune into the experience with all your senses?

She closes with a quote from a 9-year-old who often says, while eating slowly, ‘I am savoring!’ and the hope:
‘I hope you find even just one moment today to savor what is already there.’

I do too!

Read Trotter-Mathison’s full post here.

And I hope you engage this beautiful practice for your own resilience and hope-building as you share it with your congregation. As demonstrated in the post, all ages benefit from developing the ability to savor. Creating a culture of savoring is a powerful witness for all involved and for the broader community: these people know how to slow down!

Slowing down is a powerful resistance in a culture that is a constant barrage of hyper-activity and over-control.

Savor simple beauties. Engage all your senses.

And be renewed.