“One may go a long way after one is tired.”
Yes, that’s true.
Or … one may choose to stop and rest. One may choose to say, “I’ve gone far enough for today.”
The question is: How do you decide when to persevere … to “go a long way” after you’re tired? And how do you decide when to call it a day and start over in the morning?
In Your Words: So … how are you? Rested? Or are you going a long way after declaring you’re tired? What’s keeping you going?
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Comments 14
I have a pretty good natural dose of “push” which usually helps me keep going until I reach the next goal, or come close enough to be encouraged. It sure helps to have great companions in the way, too.
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Dee: It’s true — our companions along the way make a huge difference in whether we persevere or not. And they also make a difference in how restful our rest is.
I think we tend to romanticize going on in the face of fatigue – making a virtue of a necessity.
It’s true that we learn things by having to push past barriers of tiredness and pain. There’s a trade-off, though – we also tend to acquire a narrowness of focus, and miss things – gifts along the way – that we might have appreciated had we been rested.
What keeps me going is not having another viable choice. The responsibilities have to be met, whether I feel like meeting them or not. Part of them are ‘external’ – taking care of the dogs, taking care of the house, and thankfully ignoring the yard (hey, it’s the desert!).
But the internal obligations are there, too – and those revolve around writing and blogging. First, I’ve realized that I am part of a community, and I have to do my bit. Second, a disciplined life is more useful than one which is slack, and I would prefer to be useful as long as possible.
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Andrew:
You hit on something — the “other side” of this quote. I do think there are times when we must keep going, even in the face of fatigue. We find our strength beyond our limits. And then, there are times when the right choice is to stop, to rest and refresh ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes the more courageous thing is to say “This far and no farther.”
This far and no further…
Or in the words of Melville’s immortal scrivener, Bartleby –
“I would prefer not to.”
Ooh, Beth, this post is so perfect for me right now. I actually had a moment two nights ago, sitting at my desk, head in my hands, starting to nod off…
When a voice popped into my head: “It’s not the time for resting now, Melissa.”
And I know we’re called to rest in God, to have peace, all of that…but there are times when we have to push. When we feel like we’re exhausted, but something in us says, “No, you’ve got more to give. You’ve been given a gift and a responsibility all wrapped in one little word: deadline. You’ll rest soon. But right now…it’s time to keep going.”
Which I suppose sounds silly, but it really did push me on. It’s true. We CAN go a long way after we’re tired.
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Melissa:
Ah, the beauty and the challenge of a deadline.
Been there, doing that again.
And yes, it demands so much from us.
It demands a yes from us — and a no to many, many other things!
Like Melissa, I am in push mode. I’ve set a goal and I don’t go to bed until it’s met. There will be time to rest when my goal is met. On the other hand, there are times when God whispers to rest. If I don’t, He usually finds a way to get me to. Great post.
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Pat:
There are different types of rest:
a walk in the beautiful out of doors can equal rest and restoration … or taking the time to eat lunch and listen to music … or having coffee with friends (and telling them it’s for an hour, not all afternoon) …
because sometimes work requires more of us, and resting is the smaller part of the day.
Depends…if on deadline, I keep going past the point of exhaustion. If excited about what I’m writing, I’ll only quit when chest pains make me stop. When exhausted, give myself permission to rest.
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Scoti:
“Depends …”
I know you understand the meaning of going past fatigue … but it’s remembering to rest, that’s also the challenge too, isn’t it?
That quote is so true, Beth. Commitment, hope, love — all makes me push myself farther than I ever thought imaginable. Love it!
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Donna:
Yes, commitment, hope, love — all make a difference.
And the prayers of others — my spiritual ground support — that makes such a huge difference too!
Beth,
I love this. Recently I was oh so frustrated about the lack of time and ability to continue the “passions” in my life. It felt like the mundane had stomped all over my passion. When I journaled that morning all I could tell God was, “I trust in you. You said you’d never leave me nor forsake me.” I’m still pressing in. I only hope I can do it with grace.