Rest

Do you get enough rest? Perhaps you’re a working parent with two or more kids and a full-time job; that would be a “no.” Maybe you’re working full-time plus attending college to finish a degree; another “no.” Or, you might be maintaining your home life while working full-time, as well as caring for an elderly parent and helping your young adult child through university; and that makes three for three.

I hear from readers all the time that there just isn’t enough time during the day to get everything done. It doesn’t matter whether it’s going to the gym, working in the yard, starting your next (or first) book, cleaning the house or getting a massage – time is the “reason” we use for why we aren’t doing something. And, when we don’t have another time to do our “chores,” how can we be expected to rest? That only comes when the work is done, right?

We have all the time we need to do what we want to do and still have sufficient time to rest. Let me say that again:  We have all the time we need to do what we want to do and still have sufficient time to rest. At the risk of hearing cries of “You don’t understand,” I stand by that statement. Why? Because I’ve proved it over and over and over and over again in my own life.

If I find a deadline is looming for an article I have due next week it’s because I chose to put it off. I may not go to the gym that often – it’s really cold outside and the gym is ten minutes from my house – but instead of going downstairs to the Bowflex machine I own and working out for 15 minutes I have another bowl of ice cream. I choose to watch TV programs I have recorded on our DVR instead of reading material I “don’t have time to get to,” knowing full well that the programs are mindless drivel. Why?

Sometimes we procrastinate because we’re afraid we can’t accomplish our goals. Other times we put off doing what could propel us forward in our career or lives because we lack sufficient belief within ourselves that we deserve the reward. And sometimes it just might be that we’re tired of being the adult all the time and just want to escape responsibility.

I’m not suggesting we stop watching all TV, read only spiritually uplifting or self-help books, or criticize our every move. What I am advocating, however, is that we stop to see just what it is we want to do tomorrow. Make a list, right now, of what you want to accomplish tomorrow. You don’t have to abandon all obligations to others, but if you are one of those people who consistently complain about not having enough time, chances are you’re doing more of what others want you to do and less of what you want to do.

Give it shot. Why? Because at some point your body is going to react if you don’t act. It might be a cold or flu that keeps you home because you’ve run down your immune system. Or it could be a heart attack or stroke because your body just can’t take it anymore. The choice is ours, as always, so make it your resolve to not only concentrate on doing what you want, but getting sufficient rest to have another day to enjoy.

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry