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A Natural Pace Wins The Race

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We have all experienced it, sometimes being completely unaware. We can tend to view rest periods as a hindrance but in truth, being able to rest well is a certain strength.

Often we can be living a fast paced life with lots of synchronicity, new people and new places. When this occurs in my life I really get into the swing of things, everything seems effortlessly accurate and coincidentally calculated. It can be hard when the flow of inspiration suddenly stops, especially when it really feels like we are getting somewhere by the ticking of many boxes in time with the ticking clock.

As I became aware of this pattern I realised a cycle, but it was not a repeating pattern. It is more of an upward spiral; with each cycle the ability to act and respond accordingly increases, developing responsibility. The most fascinating thing I have discover through the study of my own thoughts is something very obvious.

Our thoughts are directly related to our experiences, but not in the way that it is mostly imagined. At first, we are not yet that experienced and we may feel the need to blame others for things not going the way they were intended to go. We blame the situation itself for the result of any negative emotions and thoughts.

Through experience we are each gifted with the ability to learn valuable lessons. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned to date is that our thoughts do not only determine how we react to situations but they also influence the situations we will find ourselves experiencing in the future. We can gradually lift ourselves to the path we want to be on, walking in the direction we know we should be walking. When we awaken to our own limitless potential we tap into a power that is hugely transformative. The only way to awaken to our full potential is to intend it, and we do this by carefully choosing our thoughts, quite simply.

When we weed out the thoughts that can serve no possible good to others or ourselves, we carefully prepare the soil to plant the seeds of our own choice. This is the first step of consciously creating the life of our dreams, and much like planting regular seeds, the seeds we plant for new thought patterns take ‘time’ to grow and unfold their true beauty.

The best time to create new thought patterns is during periods of rest. To rest well does not necessarily to do nothing, sometimes a rest period can last up to and beyond a month, it just depends on the individual and the nature of the work they wish to carry out. Having said that, a rest period can last all of 5 minutes. Taking a short break to breath deeply and clear the cluttered mind has infinite potential and can often lead to a sudden flash of insight that can change the course of ones life.

In order to rest well one must be able and willing to let go not just physically but both mentally and emotionally as well. If you follow your intuition and do not push yourself to breaking point, well selected rest periods can have significant health benefits; physically, mentally and emotionally. It is important to fully embody the rest period once it has been decided, no matter how great or small this period is. I used to find it difficult to let go mentally, my work would never leave my mind and I was more than likely to be hard on myself, sometimes I would feel guilty about not getting stuff done.

With time I learned to fully let go mentally and emotionally as well as physically and with practice it became a habit. I cannot begin to even elaborate how beneficial this has been for me in all areas of my life. Quite ironically, things seemed to move along quicker once I fully learned the art of natural and organic patience. I found that stress led to a poor quality of work and would eventually manifest as some form of illness, which then put my mental state at risk, because I would blame the circumstances and the others involved in the situations I found in my outer world. There was always a sense of “this is not fair” or ” I should just give up, everything is against me”.

If I was to put it down to one thing that changed this way of thinking and how I was eventually perfectly able to handle any situation without stress, doubt or worry, it would have to be the conscious integration of proper rest periods. Firstly I began to think differently about situations and see the positive side of things, I would develop these new thought patterns in my rest periods. Secondly, due to the new nature of my thinking patterns, I was able to create differently and direct my self in a clearer direction, which would then land me in situations that were in harmony with the way I was thinking. I realised I was always in a state of equilibrium, whether it was with the old way of thinking or the new. Even in what I would have termed inharmonious conditions, I learned to appreciate that this too was in harmony with my state of mind, it was just that my state of mind was not yet fully optimised and conditioned towards what I really wanted.

I learned that I was responsible for how I reacted and thought in relation to every environment I found myself in. I learned that I must change for things to get better. Over time I began to truly honour my rest periods whilst letting go of all tensions from my body, mind and heart. It has always been in this space that I would advance most and gain valuable insights and motivation. It took a little time to become fully trusting with my inner promptings but I learned the nature of cause and effect.

In any instant we can feel to always be at the effect of what others do, but this can be changed through carefully crafted rest periods, this is where you become the cause of how your life will be directed and experienced.

Do not be hard on yourself, rest actually helps you appreciate the time you have. If the work you do is your life’s work and you are passionate, remember that it is your life’s work and it is OK for you not to have completed it in 1 year, 2 years or even 10 years. If you complete it so soon you would be fulfilled and technically ready to die. Enjoy life and grow in tune with nature, a tree does not hurry to grow, yet one day it will have reached full growth. The pace of nature has been set through billions of years of experience, it has been developing perfection since well before you were born, learn from the world already around you and create accordingly.

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