The Lie We Call "Rest"
We weren't born to rest
“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?”
— John Green, An Abundance of Katherines
Some nights, I sit on the couch, ready to play PlayStation or watch TV, telling myself I earned the break.
I know I should be working on my project, but after my day job, exercise and cooking, I can't summon the energy.
The strange thing is, the rest doesn't feel like rest anyway.
I thought work was the enemy standing between me and the life I want.
But it doesn't seem like that anymore.
Maybe rest isn't the paradise we think it is, unless it's earned.
Stranded in Paradise
Homer, The Odyssey, Book 5.
After the Trojan War, Ulysses was shipwrecked and ended up on the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso lived. She fell in love with him and offered him immortality if he stayed with her forever. The island was a paradise—lush, beautiful, and abundant.
Ulysses had no challenges, no purpose, and no way to return to his home in Ithaca or his wife, Penelope.
Though Calypso treated him kindly and gave him everything he could want, Ulysses grew despondent. The lack of hardship, adventure, and meaningful struggle drove him to despair. He longed for the real world, with all its difficulties, because that’s where his identity and purpose lived.
Eventually, the gods took pity on him, and Zeus sent Hermes to order Calypso to let him go. Ulysses left the island, choosing the uncertain hardship of the journey over the numbing comfort of paradise.
Your Life’s Mission
“Do not seek rest. Seek purpose, and you will find your rest there.”
— Khalil Gibran
(paraphrased from his themes in “The Prophet”)
A border collie doesn't thrive on the couch.
You can feed her, pat her, and pamper her all you want, but she'll still be restless.
She is not made to rest.
She is made to herd. Made to serve.
And maybe we're not so different.
Work isn't just putting food on the table, it's an opportunity to create something interesting, meaningful and useful.
And when we only work for someone else's goals, or we stop working altogether, the purpose of our lives becomes unclear.
Why am I here again? What do I actually do that is worth something to the world?
…
Real rest only feels restful once we've progressed — even for half an hour — toward something we care about. Something we have chosen to do with purpose.
There is nothing better than a huge, gluttonous meal after an intense workout.
And there is nothing worse than a huge, gluttonous meal after a day of procrastination and nothingness.
With purpose comes energy
You'll feel the true energy of life when you work on something you care about.
And you'll taste real rest once you've done your work.
There is nothing more satisfying than accomplishing what you set out to do.
There is nothing more fulfilling than contributing to something you care about.
And there is nothing sweeter than sitting down to enjoy some quality, well-earned, real rest.
Sincerely,
eren
Music of the Week
Melbourne definitely has a punky vibe to it, and living here has reminded me of some of my favourite music!