"i feel like a rubberband that's been overstretched.. and i can never get back into shape anymore"
i was only 24 when i was sitting before my father in a roast meat restaurant in shanghai saying these painful words.
at that time, i had lots of good going on for me. a highly envied position at work (my first job too!) amongst my peers, a growing ministry and the freedom to travel and live luxuriously. but i was not happy.
i was extremely unhappy and i felt that i had overstretched myself so severely that i would never be the same again.
after 3 years of learning to let go of the "good", i have never been happier!
living in one of the most stressful and unhappy countries ever, it can be a real fight to hold on to one's belief that the slow life is the way to go. in university, many believe As are not good enough. many work overtime to prove their worth and it's rare to find people leaving at 6pm sharp.
it's interesting that studies have shown that Rest results in better health, emotions and performance, yet we push ourselves in the opposite direction - HARD.
there's this deep belief within me that life shouldn't be so self-driven and stressful. it can have a restful pace, simply a result of the choices and commitments we have made. it is in that wide open space that we realise all the things that are truly important to us. sure we might earn less, have less influence, we might be less developed, can we live with that?
hope this blog serves as an encouragement for those with the same belief. providing a voice and confirmation to kindred spirits.
be blessed!
charis
