Have you ever wondered why we exhaust ourselves? Why we push ourselves so hard? We see this in so many characters in fiction. They have to reach burnout before they’re willing to make a change.
Why can’t we rest? Why is it always go-go-go?
I’ve been asking myself that a lot lately. And trying to make changes. For some reason, I am less happy when I am tired. Shocking? Not really.
One thing I have discovered about working for myself is that since it’s my bliss (and my dream), it’s easy to tell myself that I want to work harder at it. Truthfully, when I first quit my old career, I had moments when I would be working at 11:30 p.m. I would be like, wow, I’m working REALLY late, but it’s on my stuff. Happy dance. I told myself the same thing when I worked through the next weekend. And the next. And still another.
The truth is we can probably never get to a place where there’s no more to do. Isn’t there always something around the corner? Another person to tend to, another reflection to write (ha!), another errand to run, another dish that needs to be washed?
So this week, I decided to stop. Rest. I hung up the beautiful hand-woven hammock that I lugged back from Guatemala and just rested. The view in my backyard wasn’t quite as spectacular, but frankly, it was more than enough.
I just rested.
And I felt my happiness quickly restored. Soon it was easy to smile when I heard the kids in the adjoining yard yelling and playing. My mouth would tip up when I read a funny passage in the book I decided to indulge myself in reading.
The body said, yes, thank you. And my spirit said, more of this. Please.
So if you’re feeling less than happy, ask yourself a simple question: do I feel rested?
The answer to your happiness might be as simple as that.