It’s July 1st…which means the year is officially half over. The fact that I’m STILL checking in with my Word of the Year? Huge. HUGE. I guess it doesn’t hurt that my Word of the Year ALSO happens to be the word my Drs. remind me of every.single.month…..
Back in January, I chose the word REST for 2018. To remind myself, I read back through that January post. And I’m glad I did. Halfway through the year, am I still as committed to resting as I was 6 months ago? Have I forgotten why I even CHOSE this word?
In January, I chose “rest” because:
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I wanted to let my soul breathe.
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I wanted to spend more time resting in quiet places and embracing empty space.
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I wanted to actually discover what it felt like to not live life at breakneck speed, to not constantly be going-going-going, and to not be so overwhelmed by my to do list.
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I was tired. My heart was heavy. I felt a little like I was suffocating at times.
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My responsibilities, the constant emails, the people needing me, the business demands, the projects, the meetings… I felt they were sucking the life and joy right out of my lungs at times.
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I was tired of the chasing and the racing and the out-of-breath sort of living.
I have found that because I am actively choosing to rest, and to focus on the feeling of rest, I am doing a much better job than I have in the past. As I look back over this year thus far, I find that I have learned how to delegate (and not feel guilty about it…which is a whole other subject), the breakneck speed I’ve been living at has slowed down a bit. I’ve purposefully sought joy more often. I’ve recognize that I am solely responsible for the energy I carry and the effect my energy has on my children, my husband and other people around me.
So at this mid-year check in point, I am assessing myself in the following ways (and you should do this too!)
- When it comes to “rest,” what I have done well? What am I proud of over the past 6 months?
- When it comes to “rest,” what should I keep doing? What should I stop doing? What should I recognize I have NOT done and start doing?
- How do I see myself “resting” for the next 6 months?
Going into the final 6 months of the year, I am going to become even more intentional about rest. I want to leave 2018 behind and feel I conquered this word, that “rest” seeped into every part of my life and soul. An Emily who rests is an amazing Emily.
