Hello, friend!
It’s a rainy Monday morning where I’m sitting, but that means the greens are getting greener, the foliage lusher. This is the height of summer blooms in Minnesota. I was taking a walk around the pond close to my home yesterday, and I marveled at the wildflowers bordering the water’s edge. They are so abundant! A reminder that wild things grow furious and free under the right conditions.
This, my friend, includes you.
With enough sunshine, water, and space to grow, the time will come when you bloom brightly in the field where you’re planted. ☀️💧🌱🌻
As a refresher: July’s theme is all about en{joy}ment — we’ve covered what can happen when you Ditch the Hustle, Embrace the Day, and embrace Micro Moments of Joy. This week, the encouragement is along the same lines with a very specific mandate:
Play Hooky
“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
– Maya Angelou
When was the last time you skipped out on a responsibility simply because you wanted to? Playing hooky isn’t something we should do all the time—we would never get done what needs to! But it isn’t something that should be avoided at all cost, either.
Whether it’s a day of work, a workout class, a meeting we never miss, or a religious service, a well-timed skip can free up more than time. It can give us a sense of reclamation over our attention. It can infuse a sense of joy where we felt obligation before. It can offer peace where we experience overwhelm.
You don’t have to be sick or otherwise unable to function in order to take a day off. You don’t have to endlessly prove yourself. Rest is a right, not something you have to earn.
Summer is a great time to test this theory out. Look for something in your schedule you should be at (or would normally) but could stand to miss. I’m not suggesting you skip out on the presentation you’re set to lead. I’m not saying you ignore the deadline coming up.
What I propose is that you look at what you have going on and you give yourself the permission to opt out of at least one of those things this week. You’re not going to use that time to be productive (you don’t have anything to prove). You are going to use at least part of that reclaimed time to rest, have fun, or do something you normally don’t have the time or capacity to do.
If you are among the overworked, you might balk at the idea of doing this. Perhaps you can’t come up with a good enough reason that you should (I would argue that this line of thought is enough reason). The responsibilities of life are not going to lighten up. They will be there when you return. If you are in a capitalist society (like I am), it can be straight up counter-cultural to choose rest over work. To choose joy over productivity. To choose peace over proving yourself.
When was the last time you cooked a meal for the sheer joy of it? Or caught up on sleep? When did you last take a day trip somewhere either new to you or beloved and familiar? How about the last time you got a massage? Or took a long walk? What about the last time you worked on that creative hobby of yours?
Playing hooky will look different for each of us, but it is filled with possibility—even if that possibility is to turn our brains off for a few hours we normally couldn’t.
When was the last time you played hooky?
What would you do with a few extra hours this week?
Look at your calendar for the next week (or two). Is there one thing that you can opt out of? Maybe it’s a church service. Maybe it’s taking an afternoon off of work. Maybe it’s saying no to event that you grudgingly agreed to.
Play hooky.
If this is difficult for you, I encourage you to look at what’s underneath that discomfort. Are there beliefs about yourself or your image that play into it?
You deserve rest.
You get to protect your inner peace.
You get to take time off from the pressures of life, even if it’s a few hours here and there, and not apologize for it.
You are allowed to prioritize your joy. I hope you will!
What are you skipping or opting out of this week? Share it with us in the comments!