by Amy Seward
As I made my way into 2020 with great intentions of resolutions and intentions I found that my life was full of busyness, obligations and a calendar filling up. My 2020 vision board was filled with new goals and dreams and my employer was eager to roll out new duties and processes to an already full workload. I felt hopeful for all the things I wanted to accomplish, ready to take on all of the manifesting and challenges with gusto. Determined to find balance!
But, as I look back over the past few months, I realized that I was reluctant to “get going”. I began to cut corners in my workout, my meditation practice was not as frequent and strong as I knew it could be, I was not focused on my goals and continued to feel myself burning out quickly in all tasks. My plate was full and the harder I tried, I had to admit, I was just not into it.
As the weeks passed I felt absolutely stuck by the overwhelming amount of work I needed to catch up on. My workout goal was only making me more tired and as all of the items on my “to do” list were continually prolonged and the commitments piled up, I actually felt more paralyzed than motivated and instead of trudging through the process in a reluctant mood I choose to make an abrupt halt for a few days and simply rest.
Just “rest”.
Then the Coronavirus appeared, mandating that we all stop what we were doing and stand still. Outwardly, work and social activities ground to a halt. I cleared all of my commitments and turned off connection to all work items. I had no need to get out of my pajamas for a few days. I choose to order takeout and let any dishes and laundry wait for a while. I could binge watch Gilmore Girls or catch up on some long overdue reading from the books piled on my nightstand. I took time to sit outside and connect with nature and get some sun on my head (yes, in my pajamas, who cares what the neighbors think!). No schedule and no stress, I at last found myself at peace and able to clear my head.
When we push ourselves so hard in one direction (busyness), it is just as important to find balance in the opposite, which is resting. There is an entire book written on this subject – called appropriately, Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. A reviewer writes: “Rest is something to do when the important things are done-but they are never done. Looking at different forms of rest, from sleep to vacation, Silicon Valley futurist and business consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang dispels the myth that the harder we work the better the outcome.”
Perhaps this is one of the gifts behind the pandemic we are living through, as we are forced to stop, stand still and go within for peace and serenity.
For me, I found that rest and self-care brought about more creativity, motivation and a clear view of what is important to me. So when you are burning the candle at both ends, giving but not receiving, breathing out but not breathing in, remember that the yin and yang of life are inter-connected and you must have both to be whole.
And keep in mind that this cycle of isolation and low activity will end once the Coronavirus threat has passed, but once it does, I hope we'll all have learned an important lesson about the gifts of standing still, resting, relaxing and restoring balance to our worlds on all levels.
Amy Seward is a Psychic Medium, Astrologer and Tarot reader with over 20 years experience. Learn more about Amy by clicking this link! Her keen ability to tune into your problems and provide stellar guidance is unparalleled. Get your Free 6-Minute Reading with Amy Here.