The Eco Cat Lady posted an idea: it's okay to do nothing. No New Year's resolutions, no depriving yourself of that luscious chocolate pudding just because you suddenly feel 'fat,' no forcing yourself to Go Do Something because that's what normal people do.
My Grandma Cumings would be horrified at such a turn of events. She raised 8 children, cooked for the hired men and threshers, and had her own chickenyard business, to boot. She also walked half a mile daily to cook, clean and care for her in-laws. Rest? You did that while the canner of tomatoes was boiling. Or while sitting in the sunny window seat in her living room, the latest in a series of Tweetie birds swinging in his cage overheadt. You mended socks, and embroidered dish towels when the mending basket was empty.
I have noticed, though, that:
*some of my best ideas come during 'restful' moments: in the shower, late at night in bed, staring at the sunset after supper.
*if I don't take some time off, my brain turns into a hamster wheel of ideas, voices and self-criticism that are hard to live with, let alone respond to.
*without some deliberate time for reading and thinking mixed in, I cook only basic food, enough to get us by. I clean only when forced to, and the ironing sits around for weeks.
*I will use my 'busyness' to keep from facing problems, deadlines and people I don't want to deal with.
"The way I see it," Eco Cat Lady says, " people pretty much always do what they want to do...And until you uncover what that purpose is, there is just no way that you're gonna be able to muscle your way into changing your behavior."
So if you're finding yourself " too busy," take some time to think why. You may well need a chance to just rest.
My Grandma Cumings would be horrified at such a turn of events. She raised 8 children, cooked for the hired men and threshers, and had her own chickenyard business, to boot. She also walked half a mile daily to cook, clean and care for her in-laws. Rest? You did that while the canner of tomatoes was boiling. Or while sitting in the sunny window seat in her living room, the latest in a series of Tweetie birds swinging in his cage overheadt. You mended socks, and embroidered dish towels when the mending basket was empty.
I have noticed, though, that:
*some of my best ideas come during 'restful' moments: in the shower, late at night in bed, staring at the sunset after supper.
*if I don't take some time off, my brain turns into a hamster wheel of ideas, voices and self-criticism that are hard to live with, let alone respond to.
*without some deliberate time for reading and thinking mixed in, I cook only basic food, enough to get us by. I clean only when forced to, and the ironing sits around for weeks.
*I will use my 'busyness' to keep from facing problems, deadlines and people I don't want to deal with.
"The way I see it," Eco Cat Lady says, " people pretty much always do what they want to do...And until you uncover what that purpose is, there is just no way that you're gonna be able to muscle your way into changing your behavior."
So if you're finding yourself " too busy," take some time to think why. You may well need a chance to just rest.
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