I came home exhausted from work last Friday. The demands of home, work, and being a slave to a routine drained the strength out of me. It usually starts on Thursday for me, then I get a little bit of that "It's almost over now." boost Friday morning. Then by the time I get home, too often, I hit the wall. I collapse and if I'm lucky I fall asleep for about twenty minutes, then I'm miraculously renewed. So I'm just like most people. We live up to our limits and usually push ourselves (or are pushed) just a little bit further then we'd like. But certain things have to be done...and we do them whether we're tired or not.
But we recover. A little rest, a little sleep, and we regain our strength, we regain our ability, we regain our vision. We know it works. We know how to do it. But where does that power come from? Where does it come from when it's as easy as a little time off, a nap, or a bit of pleasant distraction to repower ourselves?
Is it the energy transfer from the food we eat or the lifeforce in the water we drink? Does that turn on our power like a flipping switch? Well, sure, somehow I guess, but it's rest that really gives us power. It's rest that changes us. Rest gives us control. We do something, we get tired, but then once we've rested our fatigue goes away and we can go on and do more physical things. So in doing nothing we get stronger, an odd irony. An amazing miracle.
Rest changes us. A few seconds blow between sports plays, a ten minute coffee break, a half hour or hour for lunch, a weekend, the 3 day weekend, the two week vacation, or a one year sabbatical. Time off creates opportunities for us. They're chances to renew ourselves. Our thoughts become more clear. Our passion gets stronger. Our desire is ready to be unleashed again to engage all the challenges life has with its potential triumphs.
It's not that I need to understand all the mechanics of human energy, just respect it the same way I'd take proper care and respect my car...pay attention to it, have a sense what it needs to do well, and do it. I know good maintenance brings reliable performance.
I guess it all comes down to this. I'm trying to convince myself to take some time off! Now, can I trust my good sense? Can I trust my wisdom over my beliefs about my survival? Well, I'll do my best.
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