Every day I am more amazed at what a battle it is to encourage people to prioritize taking time to ENJOY their family, friends and neighbors. Because I now live and breath community on a daily basis, I can never get it out of my mind. But in general, people are so overwhelmed by the massive changes our culture is going through and the financial uncertainty of the times that it is really hard to get anyone to take a breath and draw strength and support from each other.
We sleep.
That is all the proof I need that it is important to relax on a daily basis. Our bodies would stop functioning if we didn't sleep.
There is winter.
No crops are planted, tended, or harvested in winter when the soil rests.
We laugh.
The enjoyment of moments is possible. More than that, there is a specific physiologial response to extreme enjoyment to express it.
Recreation is an essential. During recreation we are re-creating ourselves, recharging the batteries, refreshing our perspectives.
So much of our physical being and the way the Earth exists confirms and respects the need for relaxation. Relaxation is no more a reward for hard work or success than food, air or sleep. They are all necessities.
Our culture has become notably less civil. It seems to me if we could all step back and relax a bit more, we would settle down a bit and remember why it is we work so hard in the first place. All that work supports being alive - being human.
Why on Earth is this such an uphill climb?