on savouring rest
Rest is a scarce resource in a world that overflows. We are ever chasing, ever dreaming, ever yearning for it’s warm embrace. We so often glorify busyness, being full of purpose, always doing.
when do we allow ourselves to just be?
guilt free.
unburdened.
untethered.
in this strange limbo phase of life I now find myself in, floating in the nothingness between a graduation that feels like a distant memory and whatever comes next, I find myself struggling to embrace this slower pace of life, this time of not being so busy. Narratives of laziness and failure play again and again over a loudspeaker within the confines of my mind, never ending, berating me for circumstances that are mostly out with my control.
it makes me wonder how rest became the ultimate sin in my mind, where this voice came from and how long it’s been there. I think it’s a voice that’s all too familiar for many of us. One that resides within our minds, a squatter that we struggle to expel. The scarcity of true, uninterrupted rest creates a quiet desperation to make the most of it when it does come our way, to use our time wisely.
but doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of resting in the first place? doesn’t that mean we never truly embrace our rest because the voices within us dictate what is a worthy use of this time and what is not? We are so used to having a million things in our clasp, juggling, trying to maintain balance; that when we finally put it all down, just for a moment, we don’t know what to do with our empty hands. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Rest is just as, if not more, important than work. We must both do and be to create balance and harmony in our lives. The secret to a successful, happy life is one of balance. Balance between fast and slow pace. Between work and play. Between doing and being. Between exploration and experience. Between giving and receiving. Between turning within and looking out with ourselves.
We must find balance in each of these things, find out what that looks like for us all as individuals so that we can come together more harmoniously and peacefully. We would all be less stressed. We would all be less tired. We would all be a little more loving.
you are allowed to rest.
you are allowed to play.
you are allowed to just BE.
you also allowed to work hard.
to chase your dreams with passion and determination.
you are allowed to live life on your own terms, in a way that resonates with you the most deeply and authentically.
You are allowed to be you, whoever that might be.
today’s images are from a beautiful trip to Basel this summer with my best friend, a time of rest that was active. A reminder that rest is not just sitting still and doing nothing. Rest is rejuvenating your mind, body and soul with things that fill you up instead of wear you down.
if you want to hear more about my journey towards a more authentic existence, follow me on instagram @the.authenticity.project and on medium . see my photography work on instagram @s.ophiea.lice and connect with me on linkedin.
big love to you all x