Week 14: Rest is Work

In this world, the more we do, the more we work, the more money we siphon into our bank account, the more accomplished we can feel. Writing for three hours straight. Working the day job, then writing. Waking up early, before the sunrise, just to write, then putting in a whole day of childcare or desk work or whatever work you need to get done--the more we do, the more we succeed. At least, that's the definition of success in this country.

But I would posit that there are some moments that require rest. What if you have brain fog from not enough sleep or a stressful couple of weeks or months or years or a health condition that renders you fatigued beyond comprehension, no matter how much you rest? What if rest is what will get you back to work?

Hard work is important, of course, and the path to success can be achieved by working hard and being nice along the way.

But sometimes, we have to stop. We have to read. We have to watch movies from the '90s and hypothesize that maybe, just maybe, movies will never be as good as they were in the '90s.

All of the rest will fill the well. The moments of rest will give way to inspiration, creativity, and fuel for the phases in which hard work is necessary and even, what we want to do, while we're fulfilling our calling.