How do you feel about the word hustle? Do you resonate with it or do you recoil when hearing it? You’d think a part-time employee, mother of three actively scheduled boys, wife, daughter, friend – you know, all the things – I’d be all for the word hustle, but let me tell you, I’m not.
Hustle for me feels like you’re always on, you’re always running, moving, doing something. To me, hustle means you’re chasing so hard you aren’t actually able to enjoy what is happening in your life. That’s my definition, yours may be different, you may enjoy hustling, and that is okay, too.
For me, I enjoy rest. I enjoy working toward a goal but in the working toward the goal, making time for rest. And that can be in the form of physical rest, emotional rest, and mental rest. Let me explain how that looks for me.
Some of you may know that I have had a 12 year-long battle with Lyme disease, and in that time have learned to listen to my body well, and give it what it needs. In that learning about my body, I’ve found it needs a nap daily to get through everything I have in my schedule. 9 days out of 10 I find time for some length of nap. Now, some of you may think, “I could never fit that into my schedule”. If you don’t need a nap, certainly you don’t need to take one, but napping is one of my forms of rest.
Emotional rest and mental rest for me involves not pushing myself past my limits. Should I have a busy week at work, or with my art business, or my life in general, and I push myself too far, it often shows up in my emotions or thoughts. I get overwhelmed and that can lead to anxiety and that is never fun. So, knowing my limits and not pushing past them often leads to my lifestyle of rest.
Time spent with God, reading a good book, listening to a podcast, a walk with nature, all feed my restful state of mind. Yes, those are things to do, but when I say rest, I don’t necessarily mean actually in a physical state of rest (except for my naps), rather, I mean it in that place of moving slower, taking in life intentionally, cultivating a cozy day, routines that bring joy to my life, anything opposite of rushing, overwhelm, etc.
In fact, my chosen art form in itself cultivates rest. Fiber arts are slow, methodical, and therapeutic. Not sure what I mean? I encourage you to pick up a needle, thread, and stitch it through fabric – you’ll soon be hooked.
Which do you prefer? Do you thrive off a hustle life and mindset or of a more rested mindset? Neither is more right than the other. Everyone is created differently and thrives in their own way. For me, not just because I have a chronic illness, I just prefer the slower-paced life — it feeds my soul.
Whatever your day looks like, I hope you find the beauty in it and find your joy.
