Revitalize Your Life: Discover the Power of Rest.

It's the end of another exhausting work day, and my real to-do list has yet to be touched, yet it already seems overwhelming. It's been 15 minutes since I parked my car in front of the house, and I haven't even opened the door to exit the vehicle. The weight of motherly and wifely expectations can sometimes feel crushing after a long day of work, especially when the house feels a little chaotic. There is love and deep connection in that house, but there are also 5 different souls in that house, and each have their own realities, needs, burdens, and troubles that often require my attention towards solution. I wondered as I sit in the car, if I have the guts and the tolerance to make it through that front door and serve the second half of my day. Sometimes, I find myself caught in these endless cycles of striving, serving, working and doing—leaving little time for mental, emotional and physical rest and rejuvenation.

As women, we're often hailed as the queens of multitasking, praised as super women for our ability to juggle our careers, families, and passions with grace and finesse. I often believe the hype too. But my body knows better and it always tells me the truth of how I am really doing. I know beneath the facade of striving, lies a deep struggle —a relentless pressure to perform, to excel, to be everything my ancestors could not be, to be everything statistic said I would not be, to be everything to everyone, especially my daughters. That ache of performing and striving feels cemented in my bones, and the tired of it is etched in the crevasses of my face. I wonder if you can relate!

The pressure to constantly perform, seems to be a pervasive force in today's society, driven by a multitude of factors influencing our beliefs, behaviors, and expectations. From the relentless pursuit of success and achievement to the fear of failure and judgment, the roots of this pressure run deep and has profoundly affected our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. From increased risk of heart disease and stroke to heightened levels of anxiety and depression, the consequences of stressful striving and burnout are far-reaching and profound. Through my own experiences, I am learning how to escape the consequences. I am also learning that true rest is not a luxury - it's a necessity for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

I believe God is beckoning us to take a hard pause, lean into the slump and rest, and intentionally reclaim our sanity to relinquish standing on the verge of insanity. So, here is the invitation: let's embark on a journey together — a journey of embracing a balancing rhythm of work and rest. This rest isn't just about taking breaks or sitting in the car before completing the next thing on your "to-do" list- it's also about cultivating a lifestyle of self-care and spiritual care — it's also about cultivating a lifestyle self-discovery, empowerment, and liberation from the tyranny of performance. With that said, I think it's time to delve deep, to ask our soul some really tough but fundamental questions such as: How are you, my soul? (when was the last time you asked yourself that question, and waited for a answer?) My soul, what do you need in order to be refreshed? When I strive and perform, where does this pressure stem from?

Ultimately, this is an invitation to journey—to sit with ourselves and courageously confront ourselves through dialogue and question. We must choose to actively engage in our own self-discovery, fearlessly acknowledging our current reality as the first step towards transformation. 

In this process, prioritizing our well-being becomes paramount, placing a requirement on ourselves to shift our focus away from seeking external validation and instead, centering our actions on nurturing our inner selves, with deliberate intent to establish boundaries while embracing the power of "no" against the backdrop of unrealistic expectations. This is what we need — the journey of fostering a deep sense of truth with ourselves and acceptance of our individual seasons and the unique rhythms we need to sustain the flow of rest. In such commitment, we can find true freedom from the relentless pursuit of striving and embrace a life of purpose, peace, and fulfillment not just within, but with those around us.