Back

Slow down | Day 95 of my 2023 Journal

Cecilie Conrad·Apr 5, 2023· 2 minutes

Our third day in Rome was dedicated to work.

Work could (and should) be understood as anything we do in order to make a change. Any effort to move pieces, organize, change, grow, improve, understand, and care for.

Work is when we engage and take part. But the concept has become hollow, focused only on the monetary outcome.

This is part of the suppression of women, of artists, and of freedom.

When work became measurable by money and with the invention of the concept of BNP, the understanding of value changed and we lost the awe of the very important work done by especially women.

There is no common good without breastfeeding, without cooking, without someone to nurse the sick, someone to make the homes, someone to compose the music and write the books. Without this, we will all be insane.

The epidemic of childhood mental diagnoses and adult stress reactions is no coincidence. It is the result of a backward value system and of ripping apart everything that is important to hold together.

Why do we confuse the value of work with the amount of money someone is willing to pay for it?

The value of a meal cooked with love and served to someone old and sick is unmeasurable.

Let me be clear. A day for work, to me, is a day to engage with the element of my life that is not directly connected to my children and my personal life. To lift above and write the stories, cookbooks, and blog posts. Some of it, but only a tiny bit, makes me money. Most of it is just me responding to a call from my existence, a call to action, an urge to do something about the wrongs in the world.

We try to carve out a day or two a week for this kind of engagement. But there is so much life to live, it can sometimes be hard to stand our ground. On this particular workday, I went for firstly a walk with one child, then a walk with another child. Good conversations arise from these walks and are more important than most. I cooked lunch and made sure everyone was happy before I sat down in the afternoon to work on the blog, the podcast, and the coaching.

Love and light

Cecilie-Underskrift-300x133

Cecilie Conrad

# 95 of my 2023 writing challenge - Read them all here

Creating a better story is a way to survive a challenging situation emotionally. The question is: Do we always do that? And is the so-called reality …Read more
True unschooling is a lifestyle where the whole idea of school has been removed from the equation, the idea of “you have to learn” and the idea of th…Read more
We live in a world of consumerism. Always shopping. Always using something. What if we stop? Stop to think. What if we let go? Read more
One thing I do not understand about modern parents. It seems they can’t get away from their children fast enough; it seems all they talk about is how…Read more
It is some form of rebellion to stop and be silent and do simple slow stuff of no obvious value. To the world, it seems we always have to be producti…Read more
On the last day we spent with my sister's family in Sweden, we shared the last bottle of champagne from my mother, whom we all lost four years ago. I…Read more
Thriving is a complex one. Human nature, our flaws, and vulnerabilities will emerge in any context where we unfold, hence also in this reign. We can…Read more
I am very much a homemaker. This is interesting, as at the same time, I am a true nomad. I find it intriguing how I can at the one hand love to move …Read more
I read about the book “Your stolen focus,” which got me thinking about my focus. How I hardly ever meditate anymore, and how my mind drifts (which is…Read more