I was sitting on the beach the other day after work and thinking how peaceful it was to just sit and ponder while watching the sunset and waves lapping against the shore. It feels rare to have moments of stillness when I don’t feel the tug of needing to do something or to be somewhere.
Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” has touched a cultural nerve with people feeling this deep weariness after years of the pandemic and overwork. I hope we remember how important it is to let go of striving sometimes and just really be present to ourselves and the people and beauty around us even when we are truly past the pandemic (whenever that is).
This idea of being enough regardless of how you perform, how much you’ve done, whether people like you or not is something that’s so hard to hold onto. I was reminded of this idea of how many of us have subconsciously absorbed the idea of equating our worth to our output, and then chasing the next shiny thing (bigger house, promotion and higher salary, fill in the blank) from a sermon at church a few weeks ago. While productivity in and of itself is not a bad thing, paraphrasing the words of Pastor Tim Keller, something becomes an idol when it becomes the ultimate thing over God and everything else in your life. This idea that someone brings enough to the table because of who they are rather than what they produced is something I hope to replace my occasional anxiety about not doing enough with.
Some interesting articles on productivity culture and the pushback against it:
1) “The Frustration with Productivity Culture” (The New Yorker)
May we all find space and time for true rest in our lives 🙏🏽.
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