Rest.....

Here I am, resting.... on the day we call the Lord's day at my house. My wife is resting, I just woke up, and I am getting ready to do a bit of typing for college, drink a cup of coffee and simply chill for the day. I have walked the dog, said hello to neighbors and ahhhhh...... rest.

I said in an earlier blog that I am not training for an event  - but I am training for life. I am not training for a triathlon, pentathlon or any other kind of "thlon". I am training for health and to live as long as I can so I can enjoy all my God has given me - my friends, my family, my church - and yes, Millie, the Wonder-Dog.

 And this includes rest. Let's talk about this rest for a minute....

I need rest. But not just the "interval between workouts to allow my muscles recovery time so I can go full out the next workout session" type of rest. I have expanded my definition of rest a little. When I do something  that does not have ME as the central focus, I call it rest. My wife is exhausted after a day of teaching. So I get her to sit in the Lazy Boy, and I do the dishes and clean the kitchen. Rest. I see a pile of laundry so I throw it in the washer, so Glenda doesn't have to. Rest. A friend is sick so I bring dinner over. Rest.

Of course there are times for me to be alone, no music, no exercise, no tv - just me and a book and a glass of iced tea on my porch on a sunny summer night. Rest.

My point is this - my life, in order to be successful, can't be all about me. There are many motivations for me to exercise, but there are several that have to do with others. I want my Grandchildren to have their own stories about their Boppa, and not have to rely on stories their Dad (my son) tells them. So I change my eating and exercise habits - so I can stick around long enough for them to have their own goofy stories about their goofy Boppa. Much of what I am doing now is outward - focused. I want to see others get healthy. I want to be able to help others when help is needed.

Believe it or not, helping others gives me joy and a sense of completion and rest. It's all a break from me concentrating on ME.

So there you have it. A wandering, slightly scattered view of my philosophy of rest. We all need it. We all need our quiet times away from the noise and confusion of the day. We all need to be involved in someone else's life - not just our own. We all need rest.

Enjoy your day of rest....
paige50plus