it's ok to be human

one of the biggest struggles i see in myself and others lately is a steady refusal to admit we are human, aka that we have limits. plugging away despite being tired, frustrated, confused, or upset may seem like what we are supposed to do as adults, but it is my experience that the more mature choice is to admit defeat and take a step back.
here are some thoughts on the path that has served me much better:

image: "T" altered art via flickr.

lately, i have noticed that hitting the wall is more than a metaphor. medical treatment i am up my undergoing, while effective, is also exhausting. it has been a strange thing to reach the early afternoon and not be able to keep my eyes open. i have always been a big napper, but never has napping been as much of a necessity as it is at the moment. how is this affecting my feelings about myself and my work?

i feel lazy. i feel like i am not doing enough, or that i should be able to work and that perhaps this tiredness indicates i am simply not a tough enough human being. interesting. how do we do this to ourselves? we talk big about wanting to put systems in place that allow us to work less and about how we want to automate a la tim ferriss, but when it comes down to it, we want this time because our great and mighty egos have worked hard to carve it out, not because our less mighty bodies and emotional selves might scream out for care in a way we can't ignore.

this means there is still work to be done, if you pardon the pun. amazing how we claim that we want to work less and enjoy and rest more, but when rest forces itself upon us, we fight it. i hear so many people upset and angry that they are limited in some way, even if money is not a concern. how can we allow ourselves time to recover and to take care of our physical beings as well as our mental working selves. we need both to live, therefore both should get attention.

at the very least, i think another look at how to be idle is certainly in order. then, at least, i can hold my napping as a political choice, which feels a bit better, at least for now.