The Sacred Power of Rest

This is the workaholic generation. We are proud of the countless hours that we put into our work. While I believe in producing excellent work, I am deeply conflicted about the lack of balance we have in our lives. You must have a time where you shut down your work and you take time to rest.
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We are all living very busy lives. In fact, we have so much on our plates that we have completely overextended ourselves. With so many responsibilities and commitments, it seems almost impossible to find balance in our lives. However, I can assure you that if you do not find a way to balance your life, you will reach a breaking point. In the early days of my business, I was so excited about my new venture. I would work well into the next morning, and I did not really consider rest a necessity. As time went on, I found myself extremely frustrated and fatigued. Running a business is a lot of work. Business can also be draining and demanding. I quickly realized that if my business was going to be successful then balance would be the key to sustainability. I quickly learned that well-being must be the priority over work. Any success model that does not include wholeness and well-being is a distorted model. Success is about prosperity. Prosperity is living a life of wealth, wholeness and well-being. You must learn to embrace the sacred power of rest. Rest is not negotiable. Rest is a necessity.

1. You must have a spiritual regimen. Initially, I was going to say spiritual ritual, but I don't like the sound of that. I believe that a spiritual regimen is vital to spiritual renewal. Every day I set aside the first two hours of my day and I devote that time to prayer and reflective meditation. I don't allow any distractions. I don't check my emails. I don't answer my phone. Everyone knows not to bother me during these hours. This time is reserved for prayer and reflection. After coming out of prayer and reflection, I feel so revived and I am ready to take on the challenges of the day.

2. You must learn the sacred power of rest. Your life will never be replenished without rest. This is the workaholic generation. We are proud of the countless hours that we put into our work. While I believe in producing excellent work, I am deeply conflicted about the lack of balance we have in our lives. You must have a time where you shut down your work and you take time to rest. Don't get into the bed with your iPad or your laptop. Make resting a priority in your life. My body immediately begins to alert me when I am not rested and my life is out of balance. When you don't take time to rest and recharge you will eventually breakdown. Your work will still be there tomorrow. Commit to adding more rest and relaxation to your life.

3. You must learn how to retreat from the world. When I say retreat, I don't mean that you should detach from the world, I am simply saying that you must take time to disengage from the world. I learned years ago how to take "me" moments. "Me" moments are the moments that I reserve for self-reflection and self-discovery. This is my time to learn about myself and to make sure that I don't neglect myself in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life. So many people in the world today are disconnected. Go take a walk. Read a new exciting book. Take yourself to dinner. Do something for yourself! Don't get so preoccupied with serving the world that you forget to serve yourself. When you value yourself you will make taking care of yourself a priority. Don't spend a lifetime nurturing all of the other relationships in your life but neglecting your relationship with yourself. When you take time to retreat from the world you are rejuvenated from within.

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