#22 Growth: Embracing the Power of Rest: A Journey to Rediscovering Rest

Delve into the art of intentional rest and how it can revolutionize your life. Join us as we explore the work hard, play hard mentality, the often-overlooked importance of rest, and the impact of intentional downtime from a spiritual perspective. Tune in to this episode for a refreshing perspective on the importance of rest and discover how it can transform your life. It's time to rest hard, live fully, and show up for yourself in ways you never thought possible.

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Embracing the Power of Rest: A Journey to Rediscovering Rest

Hey there, friends! 👋I've got something on my mind that I think many of us can relate to: the hustle and bustle of life. We're all about that work hard, play hard lifestyle, aren't we? But let me ask you this – when was the last time you truly took a moment to rest?

In a world that's constantly on the go, it's easy to forget the importance of giving ourselves permission to turn off and embrace the beauty of rest. I recently took a deep dive into this aspect of life, and here's what I discovered.

The Work Hard, Play Hard Trap

We often find ourselves caught up in the cycle of perpetual motion – work, play, repeat. Even during our downtime, whether it's sports, social activities, or just everyday chores, we're always on the move. And while these activities are essential and enjoyable, have we overlooked the profound significance of rest?

A Spiritual Perspective

As someone who views life through a Christian lens, I reflected on the concept of Sabbath, where even God took the seventh day to rest. Yet, in our busy lives, finding time for true rest becomes a challenge. I get it; life is filled with responsibilities, from caring for others to managing daily tasks. But when was the last time you deliberately turned off everything, creating a space for nothing but rest?

Silencing the Noise

I recently took up a challenge from my coach – five minutes of sitting in complete silence, no music, no phone, just stillness. It felt uncomfortable initially, but as I extended the time to 30 minutes, I found it remarkably rejuvenating. As a proud perfectionist and over-thinker, creating blank space in my mind was a game-changer.

The Impact of Intentional Rest

Giving myself this mental blank space not only improved my overall well-being but also enhanced my productivity. I realized that intentional rest transforms me into a happier, healthier individual, allowing me to navigate life more effectively.

Listening Beyond the Chaos

For those of us who pray without ceasing, setting aside intentional time to listen without buffering is crucial. Creating that space to hear God's voice without distractions allows for a deeper connection. It's not about questioning if He's speaking; it's about ensuring we are truly listening.

Practical Steps for a Restful Life

Now, let's talk practicality. I challenge you to open your calendar and carve out intentional time for rest. Whether it's a day, an afternoon, or even just five minutes staring at a blank wall, prioritize that space for yourself. You'll be amazed at the positive impact it can have on your overall well-being.

Rest Hard, Live Fully

As we head into the hustle of the holiday season and the busyness of life, remember to rest hard. Give yourself the gift of intentional downtime. It's not just about surviving; it's about thriving. So, let's pause, create that space, and show up for ourselves, allowing us to pour into others from a cup that's abundantly full.

Here's to embracing the art of rest and living life to the fullest! 🌟 #RestHardLiveFully #BalanceInLife

Transcription:

00:00

Work hard, play hard. And maybe this is something that you live by too. But I wanna ask you about rest. When was the last time you actually took time to rest? So, learning how to actually turn off

00:22

with no buffering, with no distractions, with no like, well this is like a fun thing to do, but actually give yourself permission to turn off and to rest. So often we get caught up in the work hard, play hard mentality of we're always on the go. Even when you're not working and you're

00:51

in you know you're playing you're playing hard you're going all out whether it be sports or kids activities or recreation stuff you know you're you're having fun you're going out with friends you're doing things for quote unquote fun and those are that's really important i'm not saying that isn't important but as a society i truly believe we have forgotten the importance of rest and what rest is now

01:20

Obviously from a Christian lens, we talk about the Sabbath and how even God took the seventh day to rest, right? And then it was good. And in Genesis, in the creation and all of that. But even with like just to, I mean, and that might, if that's something that you believe in like I do, then it might be something that you have.

01:49

considered in your life or it might be something you're aware of but you're like I have so much to do in my life there's so many things going on I take care of people I take care of small humans you know I have you know there's always food needs made and always laundry and always a house that needs cleaned and you know there's you know always that list there's always stuff right and if there's not stuff if you intentionally take time to you know read

02:18

to be in the word and to read the Bible and to pray, then you're doing those things. I mean, by rest. Now those, and I'm not saying that those things aren't important. When was the last time you actually turned everything off? No like background music, no buffering with TV, no like playing a fun game on your phone. No, well, I'm gonna like have a, I'm gonna take it easy today. You know, it's Sunday, I'm gonna relax and rest. I need to, you know, catch up on rest. And I don't mean sleeping.

02:48

That's important, naps are great. But when was the last time you were awake and conscious and doing nothing? Not driving, not sitting in front of the TV, not sitting in front of the TV cleaning out pictures on your phone. When was the last time you actually turned off? Now, my coach challenged me to sit in a room with no music.

03:17

No phone, no buffering, none of that. And at first to set a timer for five minutes. And it was wildly uncomfortable. And then at some point she challenged me to do it for 30 minutes. And it's something that the more I've stepped into, the better I feel and the better I function the rest of the time. Actually, and as somebody, if you're like me

03:47

Well, a type A personality, a proud perfectionist, which has been a shift, because for a long time I didn't see that as necessarily a good thing. And as someone who would definitely be classified as an over-thinker.

04:07

Clearing all of that and giving myself blank space Whoo was not easy at all. It felt so uncomfortable it's like oh, but I just need to do this on my phone and like every sing like and You but as you start to like clear those things out of your brain and like oh but this and oh but that and oh I need to do this and oh there's this and oh I need to message this person and oh that and all the things

04:35

Oh, I need to do that. No, I need to find a gift for that. And oh, whatever. Oh, that's coming up. Oh, I need to do that. What are all those things? Turning that learning to give yourself space, just even to like clear all of that. And then after you're done that time to go like make a list with all those things that like popped up in your brain. So they're out of your head. Learning how to clear all that out has been so, so, so life-giving.

05:05

And then when I'm, I find that when I do that and give myself space for that, I'm so much more effective in my work, in how I show up. I show up as a nicer, happier, healthier human being. And then the other piece to this is if you're like me and whether you start or end your day or somewhere in the middle with a devotion and intentional prayer time, I mean, if you're like me,

05:34

you probably pray without ceasing. And that's a part of your life. But actually taking intentional time to like sit down and like finish a prayer and to sit in the word and that. So often in the past, it would always be like, well, I'll pray and then you go do something, whether it's on your phone or you move on with your day and all of that. And you don't give blank space.

06:05

And that space, actually giving blank space, if you, again, or maybe like me, or you've walked through this where you're like, I don't know if I hear God's voice. I don't know if I, you know, you're not sure if you actually hear him talking. Do you actually give space to hear him without buffering? Now he can talk to us at any point in time and we can hear his voice. But if you're

06:34

working on actually learning to listen, giving yourself that blank space and that kind of space to actually hear him and to hear him respond. We pray the prayers, but if we don't give space to actually hear him, it's not that he's not answering our prayers, it's not that he's not speaking to us. Maybe we're just not listening, right? And I heard this incredible lady was

07:01

talking about it the other day on her Instagram and stuff actually and just like Sitting just like you would sit with a friend and giving them the space to speak. Um, that has been So so good for me. It's again so life-giving So if that's something if you if you believe in God and and that's something that you do But and that's something you maybe struggle with or you just you definitely

07:30

find yourself buffering and not giving space for that, I encourage you to sit in that. Just see how it feels. And actually like allow for that space for that. So that's the one piece of it. Now to come back to just like turning off. So I think it's really good. Like I said, go stare at a blank wall, set a timer. It's okay. The timer will go off. Oh.

07:56

Violet's done here. She started her blank wall. No, she does enough of that. But outside of doing that, actually taking, I shared this on my stories. I took a day, I took a Sunday to just...

08:18

turn off, to not answer messages, to not be thinking about all the to-do lists, to not be thinking about the podcast, or anything else. And it was so good. Now, that doesn't mean I like stared at a blank wall all day, but I actually read a book for most of the day. And then I sat down in front of the TV to watch a show, but I wasn't also on my phone. And that's something that I found myself.

08:46

We have so many things being thrown at us. And while we're wildly capable of doing it all, actually like putting down your phone and just being present to watch the show and like let other thoughts, you know, depending on what kind of show you're watching, it probably doesn't take a whole lot of brain space. And so again, just like giving that space, like to turn off. I don't need to be sorting pictures up through my phone, on my phone at the same time. I don't need to be scheduling out my week at the same time.

09:16

being intentional with your time. And this comes back to that work hard, play hard and rest hard. And so maybe it's one day a month for you that you actually turn off and you, you know, if you have small humans or other humans that depend on you for meals, hey, we'll all survive on leftovers for a day, I promise. Or, you know, on some pancakes or some scrambled eggs, I promise it will be okay.

09:45

They do not need fancy new meals every single day. But outside of that, cook extra, plan for it, put it on your calendar. Don't just wait for it to happen. And that's the thing, so many people were so caught up in busy and life that we forget to rest. But we, I mean, we've all heard the saying, you can't pour from an empty cup. And whether that be, you need to take time to do something fun. And I highly encourage you to carve that out.

10:14

on your calendar to not just be running to everyone else's fun things, but also to take time to rest. And I think, you know, if you have a family, taking intentional time to even rest has a family. This is, you know, it's our quiet afternoon. It's, and it doesn't, maybe it's not a whole day for you. Maybe it's an afternoon, you know, an evening, but really taking the time. Cause we always hear about people, you know, us needing to escape life to go on a vacation, right?

10:44

But oftentimes we feel those vacations so full of stuff too that then we feel like we need a vacation when we just got back from the vacation. Because we aren't actually turning off. We're playing hard and that's good and important. And I mean, y'all know I love to travel. But turning off is so key. Just like dating your spouse intentionally is so key. Just because you coexist in the same house.

11:12

doesn't mean that you're spending intentional time together and going on dates and actually getting to know the other person's heart and soul and all of those pieces and create a deeper connection, right? So I'd highly encourage you today, open your calendar, especially going into the holiday season and all the things. When are you going to carve out? Maybe it's a couple of

11:42

Maybe it's a full day. I highly encourage you to, like a full day, 24 hours. It's okay. Everything will be fine. Everyone will survive. The laundry will survive. House cleaning will still be there. I'm sure you have enough food to feed everyone. They will be fine. You'll be just fine. But carve that time out. Let, like leave that space and stop buffering.

12:12

because we buffer so much instead of being alone with our thoughts. And this is something, and if this feels wildly uncomfortable to you, just even taking a day off, let alone staring at a blank wall for five minutes, and that's my next challenge to you, is to try that. It's just five minutes. I promise you, five minutes staring at a wall is not going to kill you. Like we all know that. Like this isn't, I'm not telling you to do anything unsafe. And I'm not telling you that you have to like,

12:41

go deeply introspective and like, you know, question the meaning of life. Just sit down, stare at a blank wall with no distractions.

12:56

Maybe that's your closet, because that's like the only place for the kids. You can shut your bedroom door and your closet door and that's where you're going to sit. And don't start rearranging your clothes or folding clothes. Just sit.

13:09

This isn't like filing your nails, this isn't giving yourself a back rub at the same time or you know, whatever those things are, braiding your hair, whatever. No. This is actually nothing.

13:22

So in a hurry to do more and play more and show up for our friends more and all of those things, show up for yourself, deepen the relationship between you and God, be present, fill your cup so that then you can show up wholly the way that God created you to be.