Best of Real Life E

Stop.

Breathe deeply–that’s right: Inhale. Exhale.

Did that feel strange? Did a split-second break in activity both around you and inside of you seem strangely unfamiliar?

If so, you might be operating as a human doing instead of a human being. In my post, “E Tip-How do I rest without guilt?” I shared a practical technique Achievers can use to chill out. Make a fun things to-do list ;o)

But as I’ve traversed my personal journey of going from burnt-out to brilliant and guided others in the process, I’ve found that the inability to rest usually stems from an unhealthy belief:

A belief that my intrinsic value lies in what I do, not who I am.

And when I, and others like me, buy into this lie, we must as a result be in perpetual motion. Because when we stop doing, when we stop producing, we stop having worth.

This may not be true for all people who jam-pack their life with activities and then try to stuff in a little more. (Some superhumans truly thrive on incessant input.) But for many people who desperately want to rest but can’t slow down without feeling a sense of anxiety, bordering on terror, they need to overcome this unhealthy belief.

It is not selfish to take time to rest. It’s necessary to fill yourself up so you can share the very best “you” with the world.

One of the things that has helped me to internalize this concept is a photograph I have hanging on my wall (snapshot above). It shows a baby–just a few days old–sleeping in a man’s arms. The infant’s hands are limp; its head slumped forward on its chest.

Whenever I glance at this image, I remember that I am, and always will be, a helpless infant in the hand of my heavenly Father. No matter how many candles are on my cake, how many certificates are on my wall, or how many people hear me speak, in the grand scheme of things, I have very little control.

But what’s most beautiful about this realization is that I am, and will always be, wonderful, special, and precious for just being me–just being Elizabeth Grace Saunders. You and I don’t have to prove our worth or earn it. We are priceless because we exist–just like a newborn babe.

You and I were created to be human beings, not human doings.

In my coaching, I desire to free people to rest and to in turn accomplish so much more than they ever dreamed possible.

As a final encouragement for you, here’s a quote that I find to be more and more true each and every day:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

–Marianne Williamson, “A Return to Love”

Rest in your brilliance today!

Elizabeth