All that is important comes in quietness and waiting. (Patrick Lindsay)
Thinking about the musings from DAY 6: What Does It Mean To Be Reliable Exactly?…
I would submit to you that it is important to take some rest.
As the final day of the first week of school winds down, I spend a few minutes at the end of class helping them to determine what their focus should be going into their first weekend of no classes. Usually, I will provide them an item-task analysis, ranked in order of importance, of the items that should be completed over the weekend in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming week of class. I end with the quote:
“I will give you Sunday’s off, it’s a God thing….”
The more I think about it, I don’t really know if it is really just a ‘God thing’. I mean, don’t animals, insects, birds, plants, the rest of Mother Nature and even Atheists, believe in the importance of rest?
Whether you believe that it is a ‘God thing’ or not, rest is necessary for all of us. It is necessary for all on this Earth, to be able to rest and relax and restore, as this valuable combination helps to reset our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
Personally, I think rest is important on a Sunday, because Monday’s for high school students, (and the rest of us for that matter), can be brutal, even on a good Monday…
As an aside, is it even possible to have a good Monday?
Bottom line no matter where you stand on the issue of God, get some rest…
And relax…
And reflect.
For example, spend some time to do some reflecting on the week that has just ended. To be mindful perhaps of the following from last week:
Day 1: What Is A Mid-Life Crisis? – The Average lifespan for humans is between 70-80 years. We are one day closer to death than yesterday. There is no shame in a mid-life crisis. We long for the nudge to go in the right direction;
Day 2: Working For The Man. – If earning a salary, working more than 40 hours is time taken away from you. This time can be devoted to your calling instead. Worried about finances? Not sure about your calling? These things will work themselves out in time;
Day 3: 108 Billion Legacies…Which One Are You? – 108 billion people have lived on Earth. We are the first generation to have our legacy make a permanent impact on the generations to follow via the internet. Combine the internet with your gift? The possibilities are really…infinite;
Day 4: The Times They Are A-Changin’. – History Repeats Itself, Just Not In The Same Frequency Nor Intensity. What the Mesopotamians did over 5,500 years ago and what we are doing now…not much has changed;
Day 5: To Be Or Not To Be…Biased. – Knowledge Is Power and Reading Is Fundamental. Do you know how to detect bias?;
Day 6: What Does It Mean To Be Reliable Exactly? – Gathering knowledge from multiple primary and secondary sources in the long run is more rewarding than no or limited knowledge. To “Free Your Mind” and to attain, comprehend, and synthesis knowledge is not easy to do, it takes time and practice to perfect….
Rest…relax…reflect.
Do not feel discouraged if you don’t know how to rest. Do not feel discouraged if you power down your mind and body that wishes to forge ahead, so many things to do, so little time. Instead, embrace the idea that rest is rejuvenating. Embrace the idea that rest restores and recharges. 10-15 minutes. Do nothing regarding the upcoming workweek…for 10-15 minutes. Then, 7 days later, extend your rest time out 5 minutes. Deep breathing exercises. Simple yoga poses. Watching cute little puppies on your social media feed. All unrelated to work and your job(s). Something…some things…to clear your mind.
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:9-11 KJV)
Was today’s blog a little confusing at times? Was the content perhaps a little overwhelming? Did you feel lost not understanding some or most of the subject matter?
Those feelings are totally understandable and it is ok to have one or more of those feelings. Remember that you are reading Day 7: Rest…Relax…Reflect.
If you haven’t been in class since the first day of school…or when the project began…or when the contract was first signed, etc., these feelings make perfect and logistical sense.
Please feel free to go back to where all of this began: