Peace

The rat race is a strange thing. We start the year off small, doing bits here and there, taking on more as we go along. 

Then a few months down the line, we feel frazzled, but continue to take on more, because hey, it's expected of us. 

Funny thing is, we should actually be so careful about it. Today I actually had a bad reminder of that, when I drank lemonade on an empty stomach. You see, back when I was book smart and life stupid, I ran around in this rat race, chasing after money and worldly success (as measured by money and what you can afford). I  ended up giving myself an ulcer (suspected, anyway, but I couldn't miss it) at the ripe age of 22. 

So yeah... lemonade wasn't the best idea, but hey, I'm not a life genius yet, so I didn't think far enough. 

Any, it brought me back to thinking about peace. It's important to kick back sometimes, even when you're striving after your dreams.

Taking charge of our lives are so important, but if our activities tire us out without giving us a chance to rest, we're not in charge. Those activities are. 

That's why I'm definitely kicking back now. Although there are a lot of goals this year that went un-achieved, I did so much that I'm really proud of myself. Heck, I know I deserve a break. 

Most of all, I need it. I need to clear my mind to face the coming year. I need to recharge the batteries so I can go zoom through what I need to know next year. 

I also need to decide what I want to achieve by then. 

But most importantly, I'm living in the moment. Writing when I want, painting because I want to. Staring aimlessly at my (growing collection of) orchids. Oh and my tiny collection of carnivorous plants, because they're cool. And especially because it's this time of the year, to spend an extra amount of time with those I love. 

What are you doing to kick back?