UMC20230806 - The value of long walks¶

The first two weeks of any term are an incredibly busy time. This term has not been any different. No matter how much I seem to prepare in the holidays, the return to school always feels like the equivalent of trying to drink out of a fire hydrant. I move from one task to the next from morning until home time and I often get to the end of the day only having finished one of the five tasks I was supposed to. It is exhausting trying to operate at this pace for more than a few days.

I struggle to find time to rest and recharge during times like these, which is when we need it the most. My default recharge activity has been to lie down on the couch and watch a movie or a series or YouTube. But consuming more content is not restorative. Our brain is still in processing mode and uses tons of energy, it does not restore energy. An alternative that has been working for me recently has been to take long walks on the beach with my dogs. These walks have given my subconscious mind the time of day to the difficult things that I am going through, to untangle my soul, to restore my energy. It has allowed me to reconnect with myself and with God.

We are not machines. We are made up of mind, body and spirit. No one can operate in turbo-mode for extended periods of time. Our biological bodies need refuelling and rest, our minds need idle time and our spirits need space.

I am really trying to reign in the "busy" feeling and get back to "slow-living". When I think of the simple life, I think of a slow life. Slowness involves space. It does not involve rushing and packing as much as we can into the day. Slowness is where we can hear God speak the most.

How are you including slow-living in your days?

Love, Cliff