Rest & Laziness

Men often struggle with understanding the difference between rest and laziness. We either rest and feel lazy or we are lazy and don't get rest.  Here are some definitions of each: Laziness: the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy; idleness. Rest: to cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength. Laziness is apathetic, just letting whatever happens happen. Here are 3 approaches to rest well: 1. Rest takes work. 2. Rest gives attention to the natural cycles and rhythms of life. 3. Rest Involves Mindfulness. Rest is both intentional diligence and intentional negligence. Diligence is knowing some of the activities that we are going to do when we have down time; things that truly refresh, rejuvenate and recharge us. It would be a good idea to have certain activities ready to go and up and running so that we can just move into them when we get an opportunity. We might suggest 3 to 5 different restful activities that you move to when you have time to do so. Negligence is an important concept to discuss.  Negligence is often considered to be a negative trait for it means there has been failure to take proper care in doing something. That is exactly the thought here. Only what we are saying is not a failure to take proper care, it is actually a success. It is a success to leave office stress at the office, it is a success to leave the email unopened, it is a success to keep the phone in the care while watching your kids weekend games. Planned negligence in this way actually shows you care because you are putting all your attention to the activity (or should we say the inactivity) at hand. Pay attention to sleep cycles, daily cycles, weekly cycles, monthly cycles and yearly cycles.  In order to learn and turn bad days in to good data we must be mindful.  The definition of mindfulness is "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations."  When we are lazy, our mind is distracted. We're busy trying to avoid our anxiety and stress at work. We just want to shut down our mind. We want to veg out. Our mind cannot observe, because seeing something clearly is precisely what we're trying to avoid. Conclusion.  "In our hurried fast paced culture where busyness is the norm, rest keeps us from being like the rest." "If we are tired, we may learn to rest so we don't quit."  "Rest. Sleep. Let your spirit have the peace it deserves, let your mind have the dream it desires and let your body have the strength it wants."