Tired? Pace yourself!

Are you tired? Do you feel confident and focused? Do you feel exhausted and overwhelmed? So often we find ourselves in going in so many different directions, and as we experience burnout, our emotions begin to play tricks on us. We wonder if we’re on the right path or if we’re even fit to accomplish all of our goals. The call to be excellent and to make an effort at a meaningful life can leave us spent sometimes. I remember a time when I felt spiritually weighed down for a day or 2 and couldn't understand why. I realized I had to get still so I could hear God. When I did, He said to me, "My child, you are simply weary. Rest for a while, and I will give you strength to continue pressing toward the mark. You are on the right path; you're just tired, and that's ok." I began to weep silently because that's what it was. I was simply tired and in need of mental rest. And the more profound thing was that it was perfectly fine. So many of us make outrageous demands on our bodies and minds - as if we’re robots running on batteries who should never need to be replenished and rejuvenated. We often feel guilty or frustrated with our need for rest, play, and rejuvenation. We say things like "The clock doesn't stop" or "Gotta keep moving.", but this point of view does not serve the greater good of our lives. It's ok for some of the things on our to-do lists to be unchecked! The world won't end if we take breaks. This attitude of pressing forward while ignoring pain and fatigue is a nod to spiritual suicide. We are spiritual beings having a human experience; to ignore that the spirit needs rest is to set one's self up for a fall. We all have competing interests and obligations, but we need to be healthy and rested in order to function at optimal levels.


It’s ok to be tired! I know people need you, and I know you have responsibilities and bills, and children and significant others and parents and siblings and school and work and church and community work and personal goals and weight loss goals and personal goals and things that simply have to be done, but be kind and nurturing to yourself. Give yourself mental and emotional rest. This morning I was reading Proverbs, and one of the abiding themes with wisdom is pacing...pacing one's self, pacing the acquisition of material things, pacing relationships, pacing important decisions. Pace yourself! You don't have to win the race tomorrow. All you can do is all you can do and that is enough. Do your best; it isn't necessary to overextend yourself.

Rest when you need to and trust that by honoring your own needs, you are demonstrating self-love which will in turn increase your ability to love others, serve others, and give to others. Treat yourself the way you would your very best friend because you are truly all you have. God has not given you a burning desire to succeed and be prosperous for you to be burnt out! God's protective Hand is guiding you, and His timing is impeccable. He loves you more than you can even comprehend. Be tired, rest, and then begin again with joy, peace, and a renewed sense of purpose.


Inspiration Journal: In what ways have you been overextending yourself lately? Are you pacing yourself or do you feel frantically out of control? Is it time for you to begin delegating tasks that someone else could do? Spend time writing about the pace of your life and how you can be sure you are giving yourself the attention you deserve.



Inspired Action: Spend 45 minutes today on YOU! Do something totally self-indulgent – take a long walk alone and clear your head, buy yourself a new pair of shoes, hire a babysitter and get a massage, head to the beach and enjoy the majesty of the ocean.