Rest Is Resistance
Our drive and obsession to always be in a state of “productivity” leads us to the path of exhaustion, guilt, and shame. We falsely believe we are not doing enough and that we must always be guiding our lives toward more labor. The distinction that must be repeated as many times as necessary is this: We are not resting to be productive. We are resting simply because it is our divine right to do so.”
― Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto
Often when we do stop to rest (or even follow our hearts to do what WE want to do), we hear these unspoken messages that have been sent to us since birth. We hear- “I am lazy.” “I should be…” “I have done all the things, now I am worthy of rest.” What if instead, we flip the script and say we are divine and worthy of rest as our birthright? This is the message of Tricia Hersey’s book “Rest Is Resistance.” Her book will turn you on your head and invite you to dig deep into your heart, your humanity and rest as a form of healing for ourselves, for our communities. Tricia invites us to remember we are mammals, not machines (thank you to my friend, Marie, for the reminder). As mammals, we aren’t meant to produce and hustle at all times. Nothing comes from exhaustion. When we rest, we are invited to dream again. When we are worn out and exhausted, we only see two ways of doing things… when we rest, we can dream of a third way out of the box and the binary systems that have always been.
As we continue our theme of rest and play, I invite you to explore these few things. First, go buy Tricia Hersey’s book or listen to her on Glennon Doyle’s podcast. It’s a game-changer. Next, ask yourself these questions:
What are the things that get in the way of your rest?
What story do you tell yourself when you rest?
Take some time to write these out. Once you have the stories you tell yourself, explore a few other stories that may serve you better. They can be the opposite of your starting statement or something entirely new. An example, when I rest I often hear, “You have so much to do, you can’t rest.” When I start playing with this thought I come up with- “There’s really not that much to do.” “Anything I have to do can wait.” “I will be more creative after I rest.” “I am so fortunate I can rest.” Once your mind hears the new story, it can begin to take the lead. Slowly, the old thought can fade into the background.
“Release the shame you feel when resting. It does not belong to you.”
― Tricia Hersey, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto
After playing with these thoughts and stories, take some time to rest and dream. Next season we move into the theme of play. So what do you want to dream into existence?
(Side note: I keep thinking this will come in handy in an election year. When we are tired, we only see the old binary way of doing things. What if we all imagine a beautiful third way? a middle way? Could we maybe get to the tipping point and bring that third way into reality?)
In the next month, take time to dismantle the unspoken beliefs around rest, productivity and your own goodness (simply be-ing). Soon it will feel like time to rise and play. For now, listen to your own inner knowing. When it’s time to rest, go for it! Let the chips fall where they may. Notice how you feel on the other side.
