Yin To The Yang
A guru once said, men are like trains on tracks. Once we get moving, we don’t know how to stop.
I can say this is true for me. Rarely do I just sit. I’m up early making the kids’ breakfast, then school drop off, then the gym for a workout or a class, then meetings, calls, work standing up, school pick up, dinner, then household chores, then off to bed to do it all again the next day. On the weekends I’m packing in more activities and events.
It all works for me, and I relish in the notion that I am moving and staying productive.
Outside observers, however, have mentioned something I wasn’t acutely aware of: where is the recovery? When does the train stop?
A good friend called out that all the activity is also indicative of avoiding my problems, i.e. a symptom of my depression. When I stopped (yes, I actually stopped) to think about it, she was right. By keeping myself in a constant state of energetic expansion, I’m not taking the time to move in the opposite direction.
What’s missing from all the yang, is the yin.
While the movement and exertion keeps my body fit, it’s my mind and spirit that’s quietly suffering. While the train keeps chugging along, maybe it’s those passengers that need to get off the train once in a while to breathe.
If you’re like me, I imagine you keep the engine going at full steam, and that you take pride in your go-go-go hustle.
I’m here to resolve along with you that it’s okay for us to take a break. It’s okay for us to stop once in a while. It’s okay to stop on our terms versus coming to a screeching halt, which is what invariably happens if we don’t schedule in the maintenance, repair, and cooling of said engine.
So, can we agree that in 2025 we will prioritize some recovery amidst the hustle? Dare I ask if we can take the hustle out completely and simply just be? I imagine our trains will last longer, be in service beyond their warranties, and that the engineer, conductor, and porters will thank us for it.
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Photo by Daniel Abadia on Unsplash
