Relax

“Happiness is the art of relaxation.”

I have an addiction.

This addiction is ruining my relationships.

This addiction is ruining my ability to be present.

This addiction is ruining my ability to enjoy life.

What’s my addiction?

I’M ADDICTED TO FEELING PRODUCTIVE.

My addiction is feeling like I always need to be working toward something.

It is great to be driven. It is great to want to progress, to move forward, to improve yourself. I know it is great, that’s why I preach it constantly. But everything in life needs balance, including work.

My inefficiency to relax and do anything other than work is making me lose sight of what is right in front of me.

I am blind to the bigger picture of what life is.

Life is not meant to be filled with constant work. You should only work as much as you need to to do what you desire.

I just returned from an 8 day vacation. Before this vacation, I felt locked in. I felt like nothing could possibly slow me down. The environment around me was static and nothing was changing so

It was easy.

It was easy to work all the time. It was easy to lock myself in my room. It was easy to say no to distractions and temptations.

But then I was removed from this routine, and now everything is hard again.

The weather has changed, my situation is changing, my perspective has changed.

But the one thing I have noticed is although it feels hard to return to where I was before my break, it is extremely easy to relax. I am happier now then before I left. I deal with stressors easier. There is very little tension going on in my mind. Nothing overwhelms me.

The trains left the tracks. There was a complete derailment. But the derailment made me ponder:

IS IT BETTER TO GET BACK ON THE SAME TRACK THAT I FELL OFF BEFORE, OR GET ON A NEW TRACK?

The brief hiatus I took from what I had been doing for so long has paid off enormously in allowing me to reset my mind.

It allowed me to refocus my attention on what is most important.

It allowed me to reconfigure the routine I enact daily.

It allowed me to regain the passion I had at the beginning.

I used to think that resting would make me lose my advantage, but now I realize that a small break only helps you come back

STRONGER, BETTER, FASTER.

The work is not the same anymore. I see it in a new light. I appreciate things differently than before. Driving through these streets no longer seems so monotonous. Everything has become refreshed.

Relaxation is necessary.

It is necessary in improvement.

If you think you can work 24/7 and be productive, life will abruptly make you aware that you are very wrong.

You need sleep. You need rest. You need to relax.

Relaxation is a perfect time for reflection.

When you aren’t engrossed in your work, you can actually take a second to look around and think about what you are doing.

Being more mindful of where you are and what you really are doing will help you figure out what you want to be doing.

I am here. I am in this moment. I am typing on a computer while looking out the window at a snowless, spring day. I am not at work. This is what I enjoy doing. How could life get any better?

Do this with me.

Relax. Take in the moment. Recognize what you are doing. Then change if you need to change.

NOTHING WILL EVER REMAIN THE SAME.

So get used to it and be ready to change.

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed.

Relax. You are exactly where you need to be.

***

Thank you for reading!

My goal is to inspire self-improvement in others through my personal stories and experiences.

This is The Exploration.