It’s been said that patience is a virtue. But in this fast paced world of ours, it’s getting very hard to be virtuous! Fast food, fast cars, fast computer games, fast emails, fast texts, fast relationships, fast money, fast lives. Phew! It’s hard to even catch our breath.
Why don’t we just slow down? Can we? Do we even want to? Most of us enjoy our fast pace. Life stays interesting, motivation stays high, more gets accomplished. Or does it? How long can we keep up this fast pace? But is slower better? Maybe. But maybe it’s not an either-or proposition. Maybe its all about balance.
Recently a wise woman told me, “It’s all about the balance between work, play and rest.” Rest? What’s that? I had never even considered that as part of the equation. Play is rest, right? It’s fun, after all. Wrong! Play is play; it is not rest. Play engages the senses and allows you to enjoy your life. It is a necessary part of the balance, just as work or participation in meaningful, productive activity is. Rest is rest. It’s not doing nothing, it’s doing something that gives our bodies and our minds a chance to rejuvenate, repair and replenish dwindling resources. Rest is what allows us to maintain our health and sanity, and ultimately allows us to continue to work and to play.
So, take an inventory. Where’s your balancing point these days? Is it time to put your feet up, guilt free, for just a little bit to restore your spirit?
Be happy and well,
Sari Roth-Roemer
