Do you rest after work or work out of rest?

We wake up and immediately think, "I didn't get enough sleep." As we rush to get ready and head out the door, we're already thinking how there isn't enough time to get everything done that we need to do today. And it's only 9am. We live in what researcher Dr. Brene Brown calls a "culture of scarcity."

There is never enough (whether time, money, accomplishments, etc.). And by default, we are never enough.

What if instead we changed our perspective?

On Saturday, I wrote about the need to shift our gaze and take in the whole picture in order to gain a better representation of who we are and to recognize our growth. This perspective change is the same for other areas of our lives too.

What if instead of resting after you work because you're exhausted, you work out of your rest because you're energized? Author Ann Voskamp includes a "daily stillness appointment" as a part of her 25 Point Sanity Manifesto for the New Year. She says, "For 5 minutes midday, be still and cease striving... Slow down: You only pass by this way once."

It can appear to be merely semantics, but changing your perspective can result in noticeable differences. When my coaching clients set goals, I often have them reword their action steps to change the perspective from a negative to a positive.

For instance, do you have a daily thought of "I need sleep because I'm exhausted," or "I need to sit quietly because life is so chaotic"? These can be true statements, but what if you reworded them and said instead: "I am going to bed earlier so I can wake up energized for the day ahead. I am going to meditate because it will refocus me for the remainder of the day."

Rather than living out of never having enough energy or time or space to recharge, you live out of what do you have. You recognize that no matter what is going on in your life, you're going to be ok because you already are enough.

Today, stop and consider: Are you fueled by what you lack and are rushing around, trying to make up for the deficiency of time, energy, money, etc?

Remind yourself:
You are not alone in feeling this way.
You are more than your To Do list.

You can dare to live out your dreams when you live out of the place in your heart that brings you energy and restores your soul.

Today I'm linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart