"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer," said Camus. When I was younger I used to hate winters, but they have grown on me. Every season reveals its magic for those with eyes to see and that is true about winter as well. There is something alluring about the brisk winter air, about coming back to the warm indoors, and warming with a hot apple cinnamon tea. My former self would passionately disagree, but I’ll admit that there is something alluring even about the shorter days. I’ve come to appreciate the endless rhythm of nature.
Nature now whispers that it’s time to slow down, to reflect, to think about both the past and the future. This whisper clashes with my temperament that always wants to remain productive, so it bombards me with ideas on what to work on next instead of just taking a break. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, social media doesn’t help with its constant barrage of products launched, ideas shipped, and audiences grown.
But maybe this blog post does. Let it remind you that it’s okay to slow down sometimes, to take it easy, and take a break. Yes, we should strive to do the absolute best work possible, but that doesn’t mean we should conflate the value of ourselves as individuals with the value of our work. Every one of us is endlessly complex, every one of us is infinitely more than the work they do, every one of us has value beyond the work. And greatness is rarely achieved by never taking a break. Quite the opposite. Merry Christmas.
