The Rhythms of Life
As human beings, not only do we need routine, but we dull to routine.
Yet another paradox of life.
The solution is to learn and embrace the natural cycles of life and to integrate them into your life.
Instead of sitting in front of your computer for 8 hours straight, work for an hour, and then go for a 10 minute walk. Then work for an hour, and then read for 20 minutes outside under. Then work for an hour, and do a 5 minute workout.
Instead of expecting the heightened, sustained joy of a brand new relationship, be aware that as relationships mature, they need to go through cycles of peaks and valleys and plateaus. Embrace time away from each other and reuniting as part of the epic relationship drama that you are partaking in. Allow your partner to remain mysterious to you. Give her space to be herself and to pursue her dreams. And don’t fear the fact that you may not end up liking the real her. Embrace that risk. Learn to pace things out. Master the pauses as much as the crescendos.
As a general rule, when you feel the dull, numbing sensation of routine entering your life… change things up. Stir the pot. Start a new project. Abandon things that are doing you no good (like a crappy TV show that’s jumped the shark). Find a new group of friends. Do something spontaneous. Go on a last minute road trip. Look at the tour dates for your favorite band and plan on going to their next show in your area.
Life is full of opportunity. And as necessary as routine is, sometimes we need to pause… to take the time to stop, pivot, change direction.
