The Quiet Rebellion

Remembering that life isn’t a race

Slowing down—what it means and why it matters—keeps me busy. It’s something I keep returning to, observing, writing about, experimenting with, and trying to understand more deeply.

Why the rush? Why has busy become the default rhythm of modern life?

We weren’t made to speed through our own lives.
Life isn’t a race.

I want to resist the pressure to hurry. I am exploring another way—a quieter one, with spaciously packed days, idle creative time, quiet strolls, and generous planning.

Inspired by many unhurried conversations—here’s my latest piece.

SLOW REBELLION

When we choose to go slow
truly slow
we rebel.

We rebel against the speed, the urgent pull that says faster, more, now.
We step out of the race to stay ahead of tomorrow’s to-do list.

When we choose slow,
we see what we’ve lost
in all that rushing:

A shared laugh with a stranger, a tiny moment of connection.
A stroll with no destination—opening the door to coincidence.
The beautifully boring pause—where nothing happens,
and somehow, everything does.
The stillness we so desperately need.

We’ve shrunk our world—
our sight, our hearing, our wandering,
our ability to simply be.

Slowing down isn’t lazy.
It’s choosing to dwell, to let things simmer.
It’s not idly sitting and waiting.
It’s giving the doing time.
It’s staying with the process—
savouring every tiny, messy, glorious step.
Finding joy in the effort, the learning, the breakthrough.

Slow isn’t less.
It’s more.
More presence.
More noticing.
More human.
More life.

How do you rebel against the rush? What are your moments of stillness, small joys, and quiet acts of resistance? I’d love to hear your story.

If slowing down resonates with you, join me for a Street Wisdom exploration in Alkmaar or an Unhurried Conversation. Links below in “The bit at the end”.

Thank you, David Pearl, for your inspiration and loving question, “What’s the hurry?”

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is nothing at all.

My business partner and friend Ewen Le Borgne and I are quietly developing “Rebel with Pause” – a new project exploring how small moments of stillness can help heal work culture and discover new possibilities. What if we gave ourselves and our teams permission to breathe? There’s something beautiful waiting in those pauses.We’re curious about what emerges when we stop rushing long enough to notice what’s actually needed.

If this whispers to you, we’d love to connect.

The bit at the end

Exciting events on the horizon to support your exploration:

Join Street Wisdom in Alkmaar on Friday, 12th September at 16:00—slow down, stroll, and get delightfully lost on purpose. Sign up now to join!
Join the next Unhurried Conversation—a space to slow down, listen, and connect. We meet every 2nd Monday of the month. It’s free, and you’re warmly welcome. Sign up here.
For more Learning Moments, subscribe to my newsletter and get timely updates straight to your inbox.

Reach out, I’m always open for a chat.
Creatively, Nadia

P.S.The paintings featured on the blog are my own.