Greetings to the New Day, Sweet Universe!
The robins have been out in force for the last couple weeks, and there are buds on many of the trees. I wonder if the plants and animals around here are as perplexed and stressed as the people seem to be.
It looks inviting outside – bright and sunny. But, the wind chill is coming in at 14°F this morning. It’s not exactly baseball or golfing weather.
Rest. I need more rest.
It’s hard to know, though, isn’t it? We are so programmed for operating on so little rest, continually pushing through, that we lose all understanding for what being “well-rested” feels like.
Arianna Huffington has a new book out espousing the need for rest. I think it’s an important subject.
But, let’s be clear – this is not a revolutionary concept. Growing up, most of us had parents who tried to make sure we got the rest we needed. And, most of us have spent time around children who are over-tired, and we’ve witnessed their moodiness and crankiness.
It’s not a stretch to understand that a rest-deficit has an effect on our mood, temperament, patience, mental clarity, physical dexterity, and sense of well-being.
The interesting phenomenon is that we believe we can just will ourselves through these effects. We live in a society that bestows badges of honor on those who push themselves through this rest-deficit repeatedly and the most.
So, here we are at another divide between the Truth that we feel and know in Our Heart, and a belief that we are trying to live, and live up to.
To be successful, happy, full and fulfilled, honorable, and worthy of love and approval, we believe we must be constantly busy, in motion, engaged, and doing something, anything, that others deem valuable and worthwhile. At the same time, our hearts and bodies tell us, in no uncertain terms, that we need rest, space, recuperative relaxation and down-time to decompress and de-stress, to refuel, and to restore balance and health to our bodies and minds.
I know somebody who constantly pushes through weariness and fatigue, and who now asks for permission to take short naps on weekend afternoons. That is an improvement from the previous belief that any nap or rest was unacceptable, unforgiveable. Do you know anyone like that? Are you like that?
Most of us don’t know what enough rest is, what well-rested feels like. Most of us feel guilty resting for even a moment, because we’ve got the never-ending list of things that “need” to be done.
With all respect and love, I’m here to declare, “Bogus!”
Have you ever had a life-threatening disease? Or, a loved one diagnosed with one? Some emergency or catastrophe that crashed head-first into your life, turning you and everything in your life upside-down?
For many Americans, September 11, 2001 is that sort of time-stopping event. For many of us, we’ve had our own, private version of that effect – the sudden, shocking loss of a loved one, waiting for scary test results, or any number of accidents or events that knock us completely off the track that we were so loyally following.
In that time immediately after – whether moments or months – our heart’s work is to re-orient ourselves, to regain our footing, and to understand where we are now.
Because everything looks so foreign and feels so different. So, we take time to be still, and to feel our feet back under us. We look around for some landmark, anything familiar. We reach out to re-establish the connections that link, support, and sustain us. We do the basics to survive, including finding ourselves and locating our people.
Consider that when you look at your long to-do list; when you tell yourself you don’t have time to rest.
I offer you this Prompt:
Describe a time in your life when you felt completely exhausted and the least rested. Remember how you felt mentally, physically, and spiritually. What happened?
Describe the time in your life when you felt the most rested. How did that feel? What happened?
Thank you for this Message and Reminder, My Dear Spirit Guides!
P.S. A little river video with white water white noise, to help you relax!
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