Give yourself a break.
You may (or may not) have noticed that I took a two-week break from the newsletter.
Life has been hectic lately, and other things consumed my time that would normally be spent prepping and sending this weekly encouragement!
And this leads to today’s important topic… Give yourself a break.
Diverted Attention
If you’re anything like me, I am often trying to go 100mph and get many things accomplished at once.
One project happening at a time? Ha, I wish!
Typically I have several projects and ideas flowing together. Making sense of all of these things feels like a never ending process – with no end in sight.
The problem with this way of living is that no one thing gets your full time and energy. While one thing is happening before me, I am distracted in thought about something else. It’s diverts my attention away from what’s happening in the present.
I wish I was better about this, but the reality is that it is just plain difficult.
Minimizing Distraction
While I wish I had the cure to this common issue, I can only share what I’m testing out for myself.
One thing I’ve been keeping in mind is that RIGHT NOW is all we can control. Worrying about the past OR future is of no value to us.
But, the decisions and things that we do in the present can help us better align the future.
When I find myself thinking about something out of my control, I ask myself these questions:
- Have I done all that I can to control this situation / worry / stressor?
- Is my time spent thinking about this helping, or hurting me?
- Is this thing worth my time & energy?
If you’ve done all that you can in the present to address this specific thing… that is all that we can do! And this is an encouraging thought.
It’s so easy to want things to be done NOW, but the reality is that things of value take time. Waiting is difficult but necessary.
A constant reminder for me is from Matthew 6:27, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
Worry, doubt, stress, and hurry are only keeping us from trusting God more.
Give Yourself a Break
With all this said, PLEASE give yourself a break. I know that feeling of wanting something to be done so badly, but only having so much control over it.
Whatever a “break” looks like to you, give yourself some grace this week and don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Ease off the gas for just a day. Find some time to rest. Give yourself space and time to think and recalibrate.
You will come back from this rest more prepared to take on whatever task comes next.
Rest is often times the most productive thing we can do. Use it!
P.S. We are officially on the road in our travels! Although progress heading west has been slow, it’s a good feeling being out of our driveway. 😉 More updates to come!