Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Williams.
Hi Abby, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As I’ve learned in this beautiful walk of life, times can get challenging. And some of us are built to have higher capacity than others. My life journey has continually shown me that my capacity is different than others. And others capacity is- of course- much different than mine.
I always loved speed. Going fast, getting things done, doing as much as I can in short amounts of time so I could feel accomplished and better equipped than others. Much to my dismay, and by the grace of God, at 23 years old I learned that I needed to slow down and change,
In 2015, after an ER hospital visit from a panic attack, seeing many doctors and a psychiatrist, I knew something needed to change. I knew that God wanted me to transform and walk in a new way.
As I did things like pray, journal, change my diet drastically and exercise, my life slowly started to get better. But there was still something lingering in my mind and weighing me down….and it wasn’t until I fully surrender my time, will and life to Jesus Christ that everything changed and transformed for the better.
As I stepped into the fall of 2015, I chose to be confident and say no to the fear and anxiety that had been plaguing my mind for too long. I continued on my health journey, and started to slow down in the way I got up each morning, walked down the road and even when talking to people. I started to listen more instead of speak, and sit still more than always having to do something. It was challenging…but as we all know, practice is where it’s at. It was radically making me a more pleasant person, and I felt better!
In 2017, I started on a journey of practicing silent retreat. This was a whole new level of learning to be still and slow down. It was terrifying at first…and did take me some time to accept and adjust. By 2019, I was practicing silent retreat each month and eventually had the chance to go on a 3-day community silent retreat. It was incredible.
In 2020, I started my Slow Down Girl blog and instagram. It’s been a resource of encouragement for me and others in ways I would have never expected.
Today, as a mother of a 4 year old girl who is walking through some health issues, I still stand by the intent to slow down. It is harder in many ways, but I believe, we experience the full life that Jesus Christ has for us when we take the time to be present and unhurried. So, even in this challenging season a decade after having a challenging season, I will continue to practice the art of slowing down, being present with my daughter and others, and trusting that goodness is found in this life in every circumstance. Sometimes we just need to slow down and see it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s always struggle when walking things out. So yes, ups and downs have happened, but I’ve grown stronger in all of them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the development project manager for Narrow Gate Foundation.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Slowing down is so hard. But it can happen. Practical tips: start slow, of course! Pick 2 things to do. I would suggest: be intentional to walk slower when you’re going somewhere and when talking to someone, listen more and ask questions instead of start talking about yourself first. After this, I would practice things like: when driving, go the speed limit, practice 10 min of deep breathing each day, and get off social media for 30 days.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @slowdowngirlandbreathe
