The batteries need to be recharged from time to time.

I hardily endorse the saying, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” But devotion to what you do aside, it’s a rare person who wakes up every morning glowing with enthusiasm for all the fun they’re going to have at work that day.

To stay connected with the positive energy that drives us, vacations are necessary.  Most of us do not face the grind of workers tied relentlessly to the timeclock, but our exhaustion comes from the personal commitment to concentrate all our energy and skills on each client and co-worker we work for and with.  That’s what it takes to create trust and rapport.

But we are human.  The path of an authentic relationship is clearly marked but it is not without its difficulties; particularly when generations of baggage add to the weight we carry.  There are times when for each step forward we falter and lose ground before regaining our footing.   Rest and Recreation will enable us to get back on the path, revived and recharged. We are not taking a detour when we give ourselves permission to get off the road for a rest stop.

There is a distinction between dealing with the stress of everyday life, with meditation for example, and purposely ignoring it, putting it aside so you can recharge, as in vacationing when you can.  Self-care is important because if stressful conditions continue too long the body starts to react; secretions from the adrenal glands increase; heartbeat rates amplify; blood pressure rises.

So it’s physically as well as emotionally essential to put on the brakes before careening out of control and heading toward the crash lurking around the corner.  We must take a break to avoid burn out, particularly now when the world is rebounding from the pandemic that put a halt to normalcy.

What a relief it is when we shut the cell phone off and put a cover on the Zoom camera.  We have become so accustomed to communicating virtually we are forgetting how to tune in to our interior voice to hear what is going on inside of us.  Texts and Facetime can link people together but are not replacements for a good book and quiet conversations.  On the beach, sitting in silence, we learn to know ourselves more deeply.  Silence leads to stillness (there is a subtle difference in meaning) and it is that stillness that enables us to hear all that is important.  What a paradox: in the nothing there is everything!

I’m guessing you’re not surprised I took some time off last week to sit on the beach.