Rest. I ain’t giving up on you :)
We need society, and we need solitude also, as we need summer and winter, day and night, exercise and rest.
-Philip Gilbert Hamerton
We cannot always be there for everyone else. Else, when are we here for ourselves? When do we have a chance to check in and see how we are doing? When did you last slow down to inspect the status of your systems? Last week, the tire pressure sensor went off in my car. I was shocked to see the pressure in the mid-twenties for all four tires. Reading the outside wall of the tires, they can support a maximum of 51 PSI. That means my car was still doing its job at halfway. How often are we living our lives only halfway?
Do not shy away from saying no when others constantly ask for more from you. Balance your own pressure out first. You can handle the random bumps and curves in your lane much better when you are nearing optimal energy and peak performance. Might this strategy upset some people? Sure, but we cannot always be there for everyone else.
Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please.
-Pythagoras
Consider all the aspects of your life that may need rest as well. For example, physical rest requires a different strategy or approach than emotional rest. Consider crop rotation. If a farmer only plants the same crop in the same field all of the time, then the ground never has a chance to build back and balance out. Instead, it is continuously depleted of the same nutrients and resources. Just like the field, we do better by changing things up, by seeking out the right rest that is best for us in each and every moment. Listen to what your body needs. Respect it in order to reap better fruit. Share with others as you can.
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.
-Ovid
How has this cycle been for you?
Have you begun to schedule downtime to rest?
Can you use this time to balance out your body and better yourself?
Can you back off on the overtime? Treat yo self :)
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.