Episode 23: Slower and Bolder with Carl Honoré

Today we discuss living well by being slower and bolder, and joining us to share his experience and expertise on the subject is Mr. Carl Honoré. Carl is a two-time TED speaker, a bestselling author with books in 35 languages, and an authoritative voice in the slow movement. In this conversation, we get into how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought us an opportunity to slow down and perhaps even pivot into what matters most to us both personally and as societies. Living slower and approaching life with boldness means living life on your terms and having the courage to create, learn, and have a positive impact. It comes from knowing yourself, being present, putting aside the arrogance of speed, and embracing the life you have at any age. Do not miss out on this uplifting conversation with special guest Carl Honoré!

Key Points From This Episode: 

• Find out how and when Carl made the purposeful decision to slow down and reconnect. 
• The one-minute bedtime story and other signs that his life was running at an undesired pace. 
• How things in the modern world often appear perfect while rotting away on the inside.
• The relationship between increasing superficiality and being stuck in fast forward mode.
• How having extra time has made us more reflective and thus aware of social injustices. 
• Why Carl believes that we might emerge from this crisis with a more humane way of being. 
• The selfishness and arrogance of speed versus the sense of community fostered by slowing down. 
• Focusing on who you are and what you value rather than on what others think you ought to be. 
• The link between creativity and boldness and how slowness creates fertile ground for both. 
• Insights on the U-shaped happiness curve and why older people tend to be more content.
• Ageism and the role that mindset and expectation around aging plays in how you age. 
• Viewing each new year of life as going up a level and moving forward instead of declining. 
• Recognizing that every age has pros and cons and embracing the stage of life that you are in. 

 Key Messages:

1. Slow down and go boldly. 

2. Leave behind superficial labels. 

3. Live life on your own terms.

4. Make the most of life at every level. 

Quotables:

“Slow is about diving deep; it is about getting below the surface to the core, to the heart of the matter.” — @carlhonore [0:07:44]  

“Having it all is a false god. Having it all is just a recipe for hurrying it all and it is also a very bad deal for the environment.” — @carlhonore [0:10:42] 

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — African Proverb [0:12:53]

“Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.” — Mae West [0:39:00]  

“Life really begins at forty. Up until then, you are just doing research.” — Carl Jung [0:39:05] 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kristina Hunter Flourishing 

Carl Honoré

Carl Honoré Info

Carl Honoré on Twitter

In Praise of Slow 

Under Pressure

The Slow Fix

Bolder