Refresh, rejuvenate, recenter.
Our society pushes us to achieve. And there is nothing wrong with making good things happen. But it isn’t meant to be the sole focus of our existence.
In our daily grind we push ourselves, often too hard. Others’ expectations also press us to work hard. We may feel that there’s always a little bit more that we could or should do.
We forget that we can’t carry water in a sieve. Pushing ourselves, we wear holes in the fabric of our emotional and mental well- being. This can cause us to perform less than optimally. In response to our subpar performance, we may try even harder. It’s a vicious, no-win circuit to get caught up in.
To get out of the unhealthy cycle, we need to stop, stop to take care of ourselves and renew our energy and focus. How this looks for each of us differs. Whether we’re introverts or extroverts will help determine what will rejuvenate us. It could be playing with our kids or going to a party with friends (extrovert). It also could be a quiet, solo nature walk or meditation or prayer time (introvert).
The relevant question is: “What feeds my soul?” Whatever that is, we need to do it, regularly. Ideally. we won’t want to wait until we’re emotionally tapped and physically exhausted. We’ll do best when we make regular time in our schedule—we can put it on our calendars, if needed—to take a breather from our normal grind to refresh, rejuvenate, and recenter.
Today’s message advises me that it’s time for a personal reset. I’m not worn down yet, but there is no sane reason to wait until I am.
Please reflect and share. What helps you reset, and do you have plans to do it soon?