Today's email comes to you live from the 7.10am Avanti West Coast service from London Euston to Birmingham.

Sitting opposite me is a bloke with black horn-rimmed glasses and a navy blue cardigan. He's tapping away furiously on his iPhone. 

On the other side of the aisle is a lady stroking her laptop's trackpad. Next to her is a water bottle covered in big red spots. It looks like a cow with measles.

And as I type these words, an older lady in a white puffer jacket has just bombed past the window on an e-scooter (we haven't left the station yet). 

Then there's me. 

I'm on my way to the UK's Curry Capital for a two day training as part of my Executive Coaching Apprenticeship. And I'm tapping away on my laptop too. 

There's something rather ironic about being sat on a stationary train while also being surrounded by a hive of activity. It makes me think of the brilliant title of the book written by Richard Carlson and Joe Bailey called Slowing Down To The Speed Of Life.

There's a lot in that title.

Life has a natural pace. Winter turns into spring when it's ready. Trust between two people builds in its own time. A wound heals on its own schedule and not a moment before. But so many of us (and I'm including myself in this) try to run at 90mph as life unfolds at 30mph. We start forcing the issue, burn energy fighting reality and wonder why we're always frustrated. 

But what if the trick isn't to push harder and faster? 

What if the trick is to slow down to the speed of life instead?

The train's moving now and I can see a few misty fields through the window. 

I'm going to take that as my cue to wrap up this email, lock & load it for sending and, for a few minutes at least, slow down to the speed of life myself. 

If you'd like to do that too

To fulfilment, 

Tom