Taking Time by Zander Gladish
I consider myself a peaceful person, but I have a confession to make: I’m not a peaceful driver. I hate traffic with a passion, it even gives me anxiety. Slow drivers annoy me even more and I always need to speed up and get in front of the next car. Behind the wheel, I need to chill out. The interesting thing is, most of my day, I’m fairly chilled out. So, I blame my dad. When in doubt blame one or both of your parents, right? I’m sure I’ve got lots of accusations coming my way from my kids… but I digress.
The point is sometimes I need to chill out, stop and smell the roses, and be a little more present in my interactions. When I think about slowing down, I think about becoming present and alive to what is right now, in this moment. And this moment is where all the magic of being alive resides. It’s in the nuances, the overlooked details of life. I can’t help but think of the book by Eckhart Tolle, ‘The Power of Now’. This is the only book I’ve read three times, and it had an huge impact on my life during and right after college. As I absorbed the book’s messages, I started to see the world a little different. ‘Slow down, breath deep, observe your surroundings, live in this moment, Be Here Now.’
My past is littered with a litany of East and West personal growth. From acting (yes, I consider acting personal development), teaching yoga, meditation retreats, health coaching, nutrition counseling, laughter yoga, happiness workshops, international yoga retreats, digital detox retreats, Thai massage, massage therapy—I’ve worked in all of them. The problem is, I still feel crazy in traffic. It’s like all the cars on the road are in a race, but I’m the only one who knows it’s a race.
That could be one reason why we started a cannabis infused lip balm company. I find the process of making the balm to be very zen. You need extreme focus – there is a sense of flow and immersing oneself into something beyond the ego. I also feel a similar experience when I put the lip balm on. I feel a little bit more chilled out. I try to focus on the feel the smooth texture of my lips, the unique taste and smells. I’m not getting high, but I’m able to relax into the moment just a little bit more. Even though my day is no longer filled with down-dog poses and chanting OM, I’m still able to find my piece of zen. I take my foot off the gas pedal just a little… Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.