I have a lot of goals.
A lot of them are for 2020, a lot of them are for the next five years, and a lot of them are just in my day to day life. I have wild dreams and big visions for my life and the story it is going to become. I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself to achieve crazy things and be exceptional.
The last few months have been marked by rest. I never really knew what rest was. I was always pushing further and further, rushing into the next season of life and making sure that I was always working on something to feel accomplished and purposeful. Part of me is happy to be this way. I’m happy to be someone who is always working toward something. But this is not always super sustainable and I found myself needing to seek necessary rest.
In the midst of intentionally choosing rest I found something important. I had to be alright with sitting in the stillness and just being. I had to be enough even if I didn’t have some crazy project I was working on. My worth to myself and others couldn’t be determined by what I bring to the table, and so much of it was.
Social media so often tells us it’s all about the hustle, making rest time seem weak or lazy. And the hustle is important. I am all for working hard and making your dreams happen. But losing sight of rest and the worth you hold even if the hustle lets you down and your big plans fail. If you are accomplishing nothing and not working towards anything you are still worth something.
Seasons of rest still hold purpose.
I was recently walking through the art gallery in Rochester, something that relaxes and recharges me. I felt inspired, thinking about all the things I want to create. There’s something about art that gives me this insatiable excitement and a hope for what the rest of this life will be. Then all of the sudden an anxiety hit me and took away that sweet peace. I started asking myself what I was accomplishing.
Even though there are so many things I am working toward, I had to stop myself. I shouldn’t feel anxious in the stillness, and so I reminded myself of peace.
So my friends, in this hustle culture, remember to rest. Running yourself into the ground isn’t worth it. Chase after your dreams and work hard, but remember that your life will always be purposeful, no matter what you’re working toward or not. You have purpose because you are. Take care of yourself and you’ll find your dreams closer than ever.