Rest isn’t powering down: It’s finding…
Rest Isn’t Powering Down: It’s Finding the Right Space to Be Present.
Being present is hard when your brain is always in the future. Mine is constantly planning…what’s next, who I need to talk to, what needs to get done, who do I need to connect with, problems to solve, business to generate. It’s what makes me good at my job, seeing patterns, reading people, anticipating outcomes, connecting dots before others even realize there’s a picture. But it also makes it nearly impossible to turn off.
After yet another brutal Friday, we hit the road for a much-needed holiday weekend break up at the Russian River in Guerneville/Cazadero. I was fully prepared to stay in fight-or-flight mode during this drive up.
And then came the Emsplanations.
From the backseat, Emerson launched into a full-blown multi layered 20 minute lecture. Topics included the symbolism of lettuce and lions in Chinese New Year, a backyard birdwatching science pitch for the Great Bird ID Project (which, apparently, I’m now committed to), a deep dive into basketball footwork drills, and finally, a request for actual rock music instead of just Taylor Swift.
Y’all, she asked for ’90s alt and grunge. Pearl Jam. Soundgarden. It was maybe the best moment of her life so far (for her parents).
Somewhere between defensive strategies and Chris Cornell’s voice, my brain finally slowed down.
I used to think rest meant turning off. But my brain doesn’t do off- ever. What it needs is the right space to focus and BE. At home, every inch feels like a to-do list in house form. It’s where work is always within reach, where my mind automatically starts planning.
But when I step away… up to a cabin, by the river, somewhere that isn’t pulling at me, I don’t have to force presence. It just happens. Relentless thinking becomes quieter calmer self reflection and I can stay in the moment -ish.
Maybe the key to rest isn’t forcing stillness. Maybe it’s about finding the spaces where your brain naturally lets go. I still mentally planned out 82 things in the last 24 hours and wrote pages and pages of content, had multiple musical performances, very muddy river walks, electronic devices silenced and have beat my children several times at different card games (no mercy- no fake winning in this house and I relish the day they beat me more than I defeat them). So I am trying to figure out balance in all things. Evolving daily.
And apparently, my weekend now includes birdwatching, which- I’m sorry , love to all you delightful ornithologists out there- is going to be a hard NO for the future for me being present and in the moment. Birds are not my jam.
#beingpresent #rest #poweringdown #emsplanations
