Stillness

I’ve learned the quickest way to freak my husband out is to rest.  He doesn’t completely understand the concept.  He can power nap with the best of them, but literally hops up, pulls his boots on and heads out the door in search of something to fix or do, sometimes just having to settle for watering plants.  This is not a passive aggressive complaint.  I truly love that he is a doer and that nothing stays broken or half way done at our house.  Most of the time I celebrate him by throwing a chore of my own at his feet, in hopes he will pick it up out of curiosity and complete it.  This method of my madness usually works, especially when I add a sweet smile. Thank goodness for people like Chadwick.

I need rest. I need restoration and recharging.  I’ve learned that stillness is it’s own adventure.  All lessons learned on the dusty road called Exhaustion.

I was chatting with a wise friend recently, kinda (100% completely) complaining about a situation.  Before I knew it, I was rolling around in my ego and explaining to her everything I had done for… blah, blah, blah.  Everything I was sharing was facts, I had gone completely extra on something that no one had asked me to do.  I did it out of my old people-pleasing-Enneagram-2-ways, and found myself feeling bitter when it wasn’t appreciated or the same thoughtfulness was reciprocated.

After affirming my effort, in the most gentle voice she said, “Brooke, why don’t you just…. stop?”.

It silenced me into a defeated, “I know.”

Because I do know.  I know all too well how working away at something that is one sided always leaves you lopsided.  Traveling in a circle that has no exit.  Living lopsided doesn’t seem very balanced.  Call me OCD.

“Ain’t you tired Miss Hilly? Ain’t you tired?”

A favorite quote from the book and movie “The Help”.  I’d like to think I’m not quite on Miss Hilly’s level of jerkiness, but truth is, I probably am – just in my own way.  Regardless, yes is the answer.  Yes, I am tired.

Isn’t it incredible what a good night sleep does for our physical and mental state?   Ask a new mom, or a mom of teenagers who drive.

Here is what I want you to hear today…

You have permission to stop, and no one will call you a quitter.

You have permission to rest, and no one will call you lazy.

To be clear, “no one” is defined by your people.

Your bury-the-body friends will never judge your rest.  Because they know it is necessary for your heart and mind.  They want this for you.  They also know there will be a lot more bodies for them to help bury if they don’t let you rest. (hypothetically speaking)

Even trees rest.  They don’t even have to be told to in a blog post.  During the winter, they send all their energy into their roots to nourish, restore, and get ready for spring.  Sometimes rest is a nap, other times it is a mental break – but the best recharging is always intentional.  Don’t forget to turn your brain off for rest time.

In a recent (8 months ago) yoga class, we were instructed to not “dump down into our ankles and hands”.  Instead our movements needed to focus on lifting.   Rising up.

Isn’t life so much about intention?   Our hands and ankles can only move in certain ways – but with a specific intention of movement and energy, they can hold our weight while rising.

When I don’t make some form of rest a priority, I end up dumping down into more things than just my ankles and hands – my relationships, health, work….all things suffer.  When we rest, we are literally lifting our spirits higher, rising to the occasion called life.

Let’s intentionally live it well.

Rest well friend.