Productive Relaxing

Life can feel like a race. There’s a lot of pressure to work, work, work. In order to be successful, we have to be well balanced. Just because someone makes a lot of money doesn’t exactly mean they are “successful.” That success could have come at some pretty costly expenses. Balancing family, peace of mind, health, and daily habits all contribute to an effective definition of what success should mean.

Success for you may be different than what success is for me. And while I may stress the importance of chilling out, it’s something that I need to practice as well. Being able to effectively relax is difficult for those who feel inclined to constantly move forward. It’s a delicate balance - relaxing, listening to music, working on a hobby, and spending time to just take in the moment can feel like a waste of time when we feel we have to make money or do something related to improving our status.

Relaxing is needed to re-fill our minds and refresh us. If we don’t engage in what we love to do, we then deprive ourselves of peace of mind. If we have no peace of mind, we then become less effective when it comes to applying ourselves. We have to allow ourselves to live a balanced life. Life is a gift that’s meant to be lived - not a game that’s meant to be won.

I used to think that success was making a lot of money and being famous. It sounds shallow, but it’s not an uncommon idea. I now believe success is found in being true to yourself and living with integrity. While it’s important to follow standards, we need to learn how to exercise chilling out.

What happens to us when we die? Someone will inherit our money, and maybe keep a memory of us for a limited time. What happens to our accomplishments over time? They fade away, and people will forget what we’ve done. What will eventually be of this world as time passes? It will disappear and nothing will remain.

I don’t say these things to disappoint or be depressing. But honestly, having a good heart goes farther than breaking your back for money or making a name for yourself. If you trust God, you know that the riches of this world mean nothing compared to what comes next.

When we relax, we tune into ourselves, so we then learn to be effective. When we allow ourselves to live, really live, with the intention of contributing to humanity rather than living money and being popular, then we can understand what success means.

For further related reading, please check out: Always a View.