55 Slow Living Quotes for A Simple, Intentional Life

In a world that often whirls at a dizzying pace, the art of slow living becomes our gentle companion, encouraging us to savour life's moments with intention.

While books on slow living definitely help me to find peace from within (have you read The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down?), sometimes all we have are 15 short minutes that allow for snippets that we can digest for an instant re-direct back onto the right track.

So here are 55 slow living quotes that inspire you on your journey of mindfulness a life of purpose. Even if you can't finish going through them all at once, bookmark this page and come back to it at a later time.

1. "Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why." - Eddie Cantor
2. "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao Tzu
3. "In today’s rush, we all think too much – seek too much – want too much – and forget about the joy of just being." - Eckhart Tolle
4. "The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness." - Jon Kabat-Zinn
5. "Slow living is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about choosing what’s important and letting go of the rest." - Carl Honoré
6. "The little things? The little moments? They aren't little." - Jon Kabat-Zinn
7. "The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them." - Bernard M. Baruch
8. "Slow down. Calm down. Don’t worry. Don’t hurry. Trust the process." - Alexandra Stoddard
9. "It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it." - Seneca
10. "The idea is not to live forever, but to create something that will." - Andy Warhol
11. "The more you have, the more you are occupied. The less you have, the more free you are." - Mother Teresa
12. "What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it." - Charles Swindoll
13. "Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you." - John De Paola
14. "Life is available only in the present moment." - Thich Nhat Hanh
15. "Doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something." - Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)
16. "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." - Marcus Aurelius
17. "In the age of technology, there is constant access, constant connectivity. We need quiet time." - Laurie Anderson
18. "Slow living is about intention, presence, and savouring the simple joys of life." - Brooke McAlary
19. "Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths." - Etty Hillesum
20. "The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers." - Thich Nhat Hanh
21. "The quieter you become, the more you can hear." - Ram Dass
22. "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." - Pericles
23. "When I am silent, I have thunder hidden inside." - Rumi
24. "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." - William James
25. "The best way to predict your future is to create it." - Peter Drucker
26. "The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." - Buddha
27. "Don’t let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice." - Steve Jobs
28. "Do not be in a hurry to succeed. What would you have to live for afterwards?" - Aneurin Bevan
29. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci
30. "To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time." - Leonard Bernstein
31. "There is more to life than increasing its speed." - Mahatma Gandhi
32. "Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy." - Richard Halloway
33. "When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you." - Lao Tzu
34. "Wisdom means to choose now what will make sense later. I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be, to inspire me and not terrify me." - Tracee Ellis Ross
35. "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." - Henry Miller
36. "To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." - Joseph Chilton Pearce
37. "Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So, relax." - Bryant McGill
38. "Be present in all things and thankful for all things." - Maya Angelou
39. "The joy of living is the main goal in life, and it is within our reach." - Orison Swett Marden
40. "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." - Marcel Proust
41. "There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither." - Alan Cohen
42. "Do not be a person who seeks attention. Be a person who gives attention." - Deepak Chopra
43. "Wherever you are, be there totally." - Eckhart Tolle
44. "Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." - Dalai Lama
45. "When walking, walk. When eating, eat." - Zen Proverb
46. "Mindfulness isn't difficult, we just need to remember to do it." - Sharon Salzberg
47. "Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different." - James Baraz
48. "To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance." - Buddha
49. "Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance." - Amit Ray
50. "Slow down you're doing fine. You can't be everything you want to be before your time." - Billy Joel
51. "Wisdom comes with winters." - Jostein Gaarder
52. "While you are alive collect moments not things, earn respect not money and enjoy love not luxuries." - Aarti Khurana
53. "The key to a good life is this: If you're not going to talk about something during the last hour of your life, then don't make it a top priority during your lifetime." - Matt Haig
54. "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." - Leo Tolstoy
55. "The world is full of happiness, and plenty to go round, if you are only willing to take the kind that comes your way." - Enid Blyton