I appreciate the encouragement to rest. I come from a family who followed culture's obsession with productivity. In fact, my father has a funny saying, "Don't worry, just hurry." He's one of the many who can't sit still. I sometimes find myself sitting - maybe in a waiting room or waiting for paint to dry - and feel the need to do something. Sometimes that means distracting myself with entertainment or feeling guilty that I'm not doing something more productive like chores or reading. But your essay gives me permission to value rest and be okay with being still - in fact, to believe that it is good for me. Speaking of the gym, it makes me think of how muscles need a break after a workout in order to recover and repair. It is in the rest that they grow stronger for the next task.
I appreciate the encouragement to rest. I come from a family who followed culture's obsession with productivity. In fact, my father has a funny saying, "Don't worry, just hurry." He's one of the many who can't sit still. I sometimes find myself sitting - maybe in a waiting room or waiting for paint to dry - and feel the need to do something. Sometimes that means distracting myself with entertainment or feeling guilty that I'm not doing something more productive like chores or reading. But your essay gives me permission to value rest and be okay with being still - in fact, to believe that it is good for me. Speaking of the gym, it makes me think of how muscles need a break after a workout in order to recover and repair. It is in the rest that they grow stronger for the next task.
Perhaps one day I’ll write more extensively about one of my “Overarching Life Hypotheses” which includes one called “Everything is a muscle.”
The analogy fits rather perfectly for the argument at hand.
Yes! As a physical therapist, I think that would be very interesting.