Much of life moves at lightning speed. And things only seem to be getting quicker. But while our external world, and even minds, might quickly move from one thing to the next, our soul remains unrushed and takes life at its own pace. And it’s good to regularly readjust our expectations to care for the rhythms of our soul.
To be sure, this can play out in positive and negative ways. For instance, intellectually we might know it’s time to leave a job, end a relationship, or move to a new city. But even after this decision is made, we might still find ourselves essentially numb emotionally. It’s not that we’re particularly sad about what we’re leaving behind, or excited about what’s to come. We’re just pensive. And this is the space our souls need to process the changing landscape of our story.
In a similar way, this is likely what’s going on when it takes us time to recover emotionally after a fight with our wife or loved one. While the conflict might technically be resolved and we’re on the same page again, our heart and soul might still need time to heal from the hurtful things said and done.
In the positive, this is the time it takes for the reality of marriage, parenthood, a new job, or the like to fully sink in. We know we’ve crossed a threshold into something new, but our souls still need time to come to terms with this new reality.
Whatever it looks like, there’s no need to try to force the soul onto our timeline of efficiency. We’re more prone to self-medicate and risk greater harm to ourselves when we do.
In the end, continue to meet the demands of daily life. But remember your soul also has its own pace that needs to be honored.
Photo by Tom Pottiger on Unsplash
