The second rhythm of renewal in Rebekah Lyons' book, Rhythms of Renewal, is that of Restore. She describes the importance of restoration for our bodies, minds, and souls, especially in a world that never stops moving: "God did not create us to participate in the world's wear-down cycle, the culture of constant consumption that leads to so much unrest. Instead, he made us to engage in regular rhythms of physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual restoration, rhythms that pull us out of the world's churning and fill us with life."
I know what it feels like to live in a pressure cooker. There have been times in my life when I feel the weight of expectation, of busy, of keeping up with the "way everyone's doing it." But I've also felt what it feels like to be on the other side of this pressure cooker - to feel the purpose and freedom in knowing what my lane looks like and staying in it with confidence and joy. It's staying in our lane and taking care of our bodies that best help me feel restored.
So thanks to Rebekah Lyons' book, a lot of time to process the things that seem to stand out the most to me, and four gals I admire a lot, here are my goals to feel more R E S T O R E D.
1. Be SPONTANEOUS: This is not very easy for a planner like me. But man, some of my favorite days, nights, and experiences are the ones that were thrown together on a whim. I need to do a better job of following Beau's lead with this because he is the KING of spontaneous. Or at least he was until I gradually sucked it out of him. ;) The spontaneous memories - like our thrown together Father's Day mojito contest and wiffle ball tournament at the Pattersons, a late decision drive in a snowstorm to crash the Shaws' pizza party one night, Beau's very first vision for Jorgensen Top Chef, or our whiskey by a fire afternoon adventure with the Guess clan to make the most of a fluke late-March snow. I am committing to saying more yeses when it comes to spontaneous, inspired by Rebekah's simple point that true "play and control cannot co-exist."
2. WALK walk walk it out: It's simple but so true. There are few things in life that have the power to both clear my mind and quiet my soul more than a good walk and some much needed fresh air. I wear my fitbit every day, but want to do better about getting to my 10,000 steps every day. There are days when I hit them easy and those are always the days I feel more restored by the end of them. I loved reading about Google incorporating "walking meetings" into their workday and loved even more when a friend suggested I try offering campus walks with my students to debrief with them about their lessons. I get the opportunity to work on such a beautiful campus and my job involves getting to be a part of some pretty high-stress, nerve-wracking experiences for my students. How amazing would it be to share my thoughts on their teaching experiences while we took a stroll around campus?! Looking forward to testing this out come spring just as those crab trees start to bloom.
3. ADVENTURE well: "Gregory Berns writes in his book Iconoclast: "To see things differently than other people, the most effective solution is to bombard the brain with things it has never encountered before. Novelty releases the perceptual process from the shackles of past experience and forces the brain to make new judgments." I love this picture of our brains being bombarded with new experiences. I think this is why I love to travel, but am also inspired to apply this same idea right outside our door. Visiting a museum, trying a new ethnic recipe, taking a class outside my comfort zone, or putting myself in places that I'm not used to being are all ways I might grow and stretch into a more adventurous version of myself.
4. Keep cycling: I used to despise all forms of cardio or organized exercise; then a little cycling studio called Joywheel came to town. I love it all - the lights, the music, the kind and motivating instructors, my cute little gray cycling shoes, and most of all, how strong and unbelievably good I feel when I'm done burning calories and sweating a whole lot. I signed up for a challenge to ride 2,020 miles this year and it's a lofty but realistic goal if I stay consistent and push myself. And just in time for a little RAGBRAI action to make a stop through Waterloo in a few months!
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