It’s okay to rest

Don’t try to force productivity. You know when you can, and you know when you need to stop. To pause. To rest. Or to simple not “do.”

Just because we feel the need to stop, we don’t always do it though… do we? Just because we hear our beings asking for a moment, for a rest, or for some space, we don’t always listen… do we?

You don’t need to be productive to be proud of yourself, Dear One.

But we associate accomplishment with worthiness. And in that association, we latch ourselves onto an ongoing treadmill of tasks and to-do’s.

What if we didn’t require an achievement to feel worthy? What if we didn’t need to produce anything to be proud? What if we associated success with “being” rather than “doing?”

Today, I had the most lovely day. My husband and I leisurely enjoyed our morning coffee and chatted. We had a big breakfast as a family, and then I read a bit while my daughter watched a show. She and I did a puzzle. And it rained off and on all day.

Nothing particularly “productive” about our day. And yet, I’d call today “a success.” And I’m going to let myself be proud of me today.

Proud that I let myself enjoy un-rushed time. Proud that I “solo-tasked” nearly all day. Proud that I set the to-do list aside… and when its shadowy presence crept into my mind, proud that I breathed, paused, and chose to begin again. In my moment. Returning my attention to my book, the eating of my sunny side up eggs and toast, and being cozy with my sweeties.

While everyday isn’t an unscheduled Summer Saturday, we can choose any day to be proud of ourselves for being. For doing one thing at a time and honoring that thing with the preciousness of our attention. For choosing to prioritize a very ordinary, very lovely activity even though it may feel like there are many, “more worthwhile” items on our list. And for beginning again (and again) when our noisy mind tries to push us back into doing-mode.

Let’s practice together, right now… Pause - just a moment. Breathe in. Pause again (just a smidge). And now breathe out. Smile. And allow yourself to feel proud of you for giving yourself this lovely, focused round of breath. And for honoring that breath - your life force within - with the preciousness of your attention. All by simply being here - just for a moment.

Every moment is a chance for us to begin again. With kindness. And “beginning” doesn’t need to involve “doing.” We can begin again to be. We can begin again to listen. And we can begin again to show ourselves the love and care we require.

How about, just for today, we prioritize something that nourishes us? And then, we allow ourselves to smile and to feel proud for it. Maybe even a smidge grateful.

How about it?

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Peace begins within