Carl Honoré
on the Slow Movement
How’s your "inner tortoise" doing?
When was the last time you set it free? When was the last time you had the courage to slow down to power up?
Call it “siesta”, the Spanish midday nap. Call it “shinrin yoku”, the Japanese forest bathing. Call it “fika”, the Swedish coffee and cake break. Call it “dolce far niente”, the Italian savouring the moment. Call it “Ubuntu”, the African joy of togetherness.
Slowness is a mindset: it’s the sweet relief from the daily grind and the desperate pressure to achieve. Living too fast can turn your life into a blur, but Carl Honoré is here to wake you up.
Idleness is an art form:
“In a world terrified of wasting time, doing nothing feels like a crime or a sin. Fear remains the biggest obstacle to slowing down. Thanks to the powerful taboo against slowness, even just thinking about slowing down makes us feel afraid, guilty or ashamed. Add to that the fear of being alone with our thoughts and the fear of missing out. Speed is often a way to escape that fear. Instead of facing up to what is missing in our lives, we just make ourselves faster and busier.”
Using stories and research from around the world, Carl shows how to work, play and live better by unleashing the inner tortoise. He is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and TED Conferences speaker. After working with street children in Brazil, he covered Europe and South America for The Economist, Observer, Miami Herald, Time Inc. and other publications. His books on the Slow Movement, ageing and ageism provide inspiration from calming rituals and traditions found across the world.
In Praise of Slow chronicles the global trend toward putting on the brakes in everything from work to sex, food or parenting. To thrive in a fast world, you have to slow down. It will boost your health and bring more depth, pleasure, creativity and meaning to your life.
As Carl says, being Slow means “doing everything at the correct speed: quickly, slowly or whatever pace works best.” Slow means being present, living each moment fully, and putting quality before quantity. That means taking more pleasure from everything we do. This sense of ease will help you build stronger, meaningful and long-lasting relationships.
Read Carl Honoré’s answers for Inspirators, slow down and reflect deeply. You will start seeing that everything and everyone is connected.
What are you waiting for?
Thank you, Carl, for being a Slow Movement Pioneer!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Carl Honoré
Company / Institution: Carl Honoré
Website: www.carlhonore.info
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-honor%C3%A9-81806ab3/
Country of origin: Canada
Country you currently live in: United Kingdom
Your personal definition of Regeneration: Soaring upwards on silver wings.
Main business challenge you face: Persuading people that slowness has a key role to play in the 21st century.
Main driver that keeps you going: Hearing from people who tell me that my work has changed their lives for the better.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: Curiosity and a sense of humour.
The trait you most value in others: Honesty and a sense of humour.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: Hockey. Cooking. Art. Books. Swimming in the sea. Sunsets.
The #inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
Martin Luther King
A hint or starting point for companies or professionals that are taking the first steps in the regeneration journey: Take time to reflect on what really matters to you. And be patient - you won't find all the answers instantly.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you: "We are all in it together."
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: You have so much more time than you realise.
Books that had a great impact on you: The Quiet American by Graham Greene.
Must-reads for any regenerative professional: Great novels from the canon.
Movies or Documentaries you would watch all over again: I never re-watch movies or documentaries.
Blogs / Websites / Podcasts you visit frequently: BBC, The Guardian, NHL.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: Sigur Rós. ABBA. Puccini and Verdi.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fortaleza, Brazil
The Altiplano in Bolivia
Thetford Mines, Canada
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow: Malala Yousafzai.
Trends in Regeneration we should keep an eye on: People seeking to regenerate at younger ages.
Best places for business networking (online or offline): Co-working spaces.
Events we should attend: Wisdom 2.0 (https://www.wisdom2summit.com).
Associations, business clubs, tribes you belong to – and why:
Royal Society of Arts in London because it plugs me into a community of thoughtful changemakers.
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030: Human nature.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: Human nature.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Honesty. Empathy. Humility. Altruism.
The #inspirator you are endorsing for a future edition of the newsletter is:
Jacynth Bassett, a young woman who is challenging ageism through her own fashion brand, the Bias Cut.
The quote that inspires you:
"Noli timere!"
(“Do not be afraid!”)
Your own quote that will inspire us:
