At one point I was working with a horse trainer trying to do several things with Echo. The operative word was trying. There came a time when he and I both recognized I was pushing too hard. I was exhausted, and he was frustrated and confused.
Sometimes life appears to be conspiring against us. I had a friend with 2 small children who was going through a messy divorce, a challenging promotion and a dangerous health condition all at the same time. She wanted to prove she was strong enough to handle it all, and felt she needed to for her children’s sake. It took a near heart attack for her to literally listen to her heart and slow down.
While resilience is commendable, there are times when life tells us in no uncertain terms that it is time to stop and rest. Not forever, but long enough for us to catch our breath and allow things to work themselves out. Life has taught me that patience and timing are often the best medicine. For those of us with big egos and a need to control our lives this is a challenge.
The next time life knocks you down, especially more than once, consider it may be a message to rest, recuperate, and recover. Let yourself stay down just for a while. Get some sleep. Feed your soul. You will emerge with strength, perspective and peace, and be stronger and more effective as a result.
