I love our country.  I am not a psycho patriot with pictures of automatic weapons in my backyard.  I’ll save that for the Hezbollah.  I love our US of A because we are so comfortable here.  I know that I idolize my comfort too much but here we have toilets!  That don’t require me to squat (though, I have a squatty potty…go figure.)  We have Target!  WE have traffic laws and mail delivered to our houses.  Almost every day!  I really could go on and on about the merits and amenities of the United States.  But for fear of sounding too much like Fox News, I will digress.  But couldn’t we stand to spend some time being thankful for all the benefits of living here?

Yet, as all of us pursue our American dream, I think we sacrifice our God-given needs.  Our bodies have not evolved with the expectations of modern society.  Modern society is sending us a message.  This message says,

You must win.

Question:  What does it take to win?

Answer:  More.

Examples:

More work

More hours in the day (less sleep)

More fast (ok, faster is a better word here but it wouldn’t go with my point as well).

More money (see the first example)

More workouts

More social media networks

More cleaning

More sports, classes, and extracurriculars

One of the laws of nature is that matter is neither created or destroyed.  It just changes in form.  Well, if it is true for the natural world, then when you take more of something, you are taking less of something else.

Less time with your kids, wife, family.

Less recreation

Less fun.

Less time in the great outdoors.

Less time in sweet solitude.

Less peace.

Less rest.

So, what is your goal in life?  What is the ideal you?  I can tell you that I long in my heart of hearts to be the perfect parent, wife, Christian and therapist.  Not better.  Perfect.  You are all shaking your heads at me, right?  You should be, because your brain (and mine, btw) tells you that this is impossible and the standard I’ve sought is going to kill me.  In short, the world is not trying to better you.  The world is trying to kill you.  It does it slowly with messages about how you need this shake for energy, and that position at work to be better, to win, to be perfectly happy.

The messages are too many to number and overwhelming.  To be the perfect parent, I either have to never let my kids cry ever (which turns us parents into raving codependents) or I am supposed to let them cry while I become as numb and empathetic as a fence post.  To be the perfect wife, I need to have dates with my husband weekly while our limitless budget barely takes a hit.  Have sex with him every single time he wants it.  And enjoy it.  Or, I need to have the house cleaned and organized while making a small living and homeschooling our children because Proverbs 31 told me to (it didn’t really).  

To be the perfect employee or boss, I have to be there when it opens and when it closes.  I need to forgo vacations.  I need to be diligent, proactive, and on my game 24/7.  I need to be up to date on all things business and marketing.  I need to make enough money so that my family will have all the they need to pay for competitive soccer, band camps, private schools, and all.the.things.  

It is a never ending cycle of expectations placed on you, from you and the world, that will never be satisfied.  

And that is more than ok.  

Stop the vicious cycle.

Rest.