There is a toughen up mentality that has been pushed on us via many different means throughout our lives. It comes from ourselves, the media, our parents, friends, colleagues etc. Sometimes this mentality is crucial. It can help us build out character and realise our true strengths. Sometimes we need an extra push to keep going, to finish that project, complete that hike, keep working and trying. But sometimes it is too much. Sometimes we can push ourselves too hard, to our own detriment.
Boris Johnson is a great example of someone who has great internal strength to keep working even when he does not feel well enough to do so. He fell ill with Coronavirus and still kept working as Prime Minister even when he was sick in hospital. This is a man of sheer determination and grit. While a lot of these jobs he did were in fact necessary, I wonder if perhaps at some point he needed to rest a bit more and realise that it is ok to let go of control and ask for help. That sometimes in order to give more we need to give to ourselves more and ensure that we are able to function.
It is hard to know when something is too much and when we are not doing enough. The balance is tricky. It requires listening to our bodies in a deep way that we may not be used to doing. It requires us to give more attention to ourselves, to take a pause to hear how we are feeling both physically and mentally. Something that in these modern times we oft avoid, or are 'too busy' to do. We are so inundated with random 'to dos' and 'notifications' that we forget the most important thing to look after is our health.
I am more keenly aware of this fact as I ignored tell-tales signs that something was not quite right with my own physical health for 2 years. Fortunately, it is not serious and I am hopeful that if I continue to listen to my body please G-d I will be 100% again one-day hopefully soon. But I should not have kept trying to push myself when my body and my mind kept giving me signs and telling me that something was off.
I have always thought it best to push through, to keep trying, keep going and I have considered it weak when I have not. There have been times when I have lugged excessively heavy boxes because I thought I should push through and help more. Or times when I have stayed up trying to work more, all because I felt that soldiering on was the way to go. In reality, giving yourself a rest and knowing where your limits are is the true strength. That will ensure you to have more strength to keep going in the long run.
It is foolhardy and detrimental to think that you can always keep going. And it is weak to not give yourself a push sometimes. It is ultimately a difficult path to find the balance between the two. But we must. We should always strive to find this balance and become well rested soldiers .
Wishing you strength and peace in body and mind
Much Love
Naomi Leila Xx
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