24/7. Many of us are so proud to say that’s how many hours we work in a week. “Being busy” is valued above all else. And yet, being busy can be the most counterproductive thing we do, if it is not accompanied by rest.
I remember when I was in high school I was proud that I played six hours of tennis a day in the summers. That is, I was proud until I burned out, put my racket away and didn’t touch it for four years. I came to hate the game I loved.
Anything done to excess will cause us to lose balance and eventually lose joy in what we love.
Our staff has been on 4th of July break for six days after working 24/7 for a month (Did that sound proud? Sorry about that, hard habit to break…).
They have gone off to play, to see families and friends, and to rejuvenate. The number one response I got from them when I asked what they would do on break is….. sleep. And that is what I have done, too. Slept, sat and listened to birds, hung out with my family and friends quietly, and stepped back to realize how lucky I am.
Without this rest, we would not be fresh for the second half of the summer.
But we are rested. We are ready. And we are restored.
I hope you take time in your day, week, summer, life, and tennis game to rest.
Now it’s time to head off for one last nap!
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