Much like the questions I pose at the end of each episode, this week's episodes are for reflection,

and reflection by definition is to give serious thought or consideration. Every day this week,

you will hear moments from previous episodes that I hope help you to find space and time throughout your day for positive

thoughts as we reflect together. And now on to today's episode. Whenever you start to feel like you're

pressuring yourself to have a plan that you can follow perfectly,

I hope that you can remember the natural rhythms of the earth, for they are so easily forgotten.

As human beings, we often tend to look to our routines for rhythms.

According to the Oxford Language's Dictionary, routines are

a sequence of actions regularly followed a fixed program. Now, routines aren't wrong, but when they

replace the natural flow of things, the natural rhythm of things, we start to feel like we can't keep up,

which leads to overwhelm. And this is why rest is important. Not only rest at the end of the day

when we're exhausted, but rest as a resistance to the cultural expectations that make us feel like we must

always be working. In a book I really like by Ruth Haley Barton, it's called Sacred Rhythms,

she makes this valuable point. Because life in contemporary culture requires us to move at high speeds to be accessible

nearly all the time, we need more extended times of solitude in which the rps of body, mind,

and soul can slow down. So if you feel like you need more time to rest, you probably do.

And that's okay. Unquote. If you feel like you need more time to rest, you probably do. And that's okay.

When we look to nature, we see rhythms of rest and how vital they are.

However, when it comes to our own lives, it can feel unnatural, especially in busy seasons.

We understand that bears hibernate for months out of the year.

We understand that deciduous trees surrender their leaves for winter.

We understand that flowers need

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