Every lesson I have ever written has started with a word, phrase or sentence that made me stop and think. Yesterday, I came across two words that got my attention immediately. They were "summer reset."
Typically, I try to fill my summer with as many fun activities as possible. After all, we only have so many months of warm weather, so we better get out and do as much as we can, right? Unfortunately, the downside of this thinking is that when September comes and everything else starts up again, I am tired, worn out and in need of a break. Sometimes, more is not better; it is just more.
I am convinced that this summer needs to be different. I need to change my routines and find some refreshment and rejuvenation. At this point, I am not sure exactly what that will look like, but I am open to learning something new.
One thing I am certain of though is that rest needs to be part of the plan. As a society, we do not put a lot of value on slowing down or relaxing. We value being busy. Busy sounds important. Tired means you are doing something. However, I suspect that most of us feel more frustrated and less peaceful than we would like to be simply because we are constantly on the run.
You may recall that the fourth of the ten commandments says, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day" (Exodus 20:8-11).
Rest has always been part of the plan.
Maybe we just need to give ourselves permission to slow down.
