You are going to get tired but what should you do with it? How should you react and conduct yourself? What you do with tired is very important but first you need to be honest and find out why.
There are probably a million different combination of reasons why we get tired. The body, the mind, and our soul push and pull in different directions. Other people also push and pull us and so we spend our energy and need rest.
Why are you tired?
There are two very good answers. One, you are doing something that doesn’t have your best interest in mind, for one reason or another, and this is grinding you down and making you want a break or vacation. In a first world economy, this kind of tired is common and unavoidable. We are asked to do far too much, for far too little, with limited time and limited resources. This is probably why you are tired, but we’ll get to the solution in a moment.
The second reason why you are tired is that you are doing what you love. You’re working on your dreams. You are putting in the work necessary to realize something you want. You are on the long and taxing road to be who you imagine yourself to be. This will also get you tired, but what you do with that tired is different than the first kind.
The first kind of tired is necessary. The world wants and demands things. People want and demand things. We are all part of a system and we have our part to play. The system is every more increasing and demanding and so there is only one way to fight this type of tired. We have to push back.
I don’t mean in an ignorant way. We don’t push back by dreaming up conspiracy theories. By blaming the rich, or the government. We won’t get anywhere if we don’t do what we are asked to do, or do it half assed. None of those things are the answer, but we do have to push back.
We need to find things we can drop and not do, which might not be noticed or will not have terrible consequences and in turn we will get back some of our time, if not our dignity, to do with that time what we want. We need to find ways to do things better, even if that means putting in more work to convince other people that this is worth doing.
In the end, if nothing else works, we have to walk away and remind ourselves that we can find other work, we can fix our mistakes, but we cannot buy more time, we cannot buy another life. This type of tired is a cancer. A silent killer that no one is ever going to fundraise to eradicate.
The second type of tired requires a smile. Perhaps a little nap, or a glass of beer, but it calls for a smile regardless. But don’t misunderstand this kind of tired. You’re still as fuck going to be tired. It won’t feel good. It won’t be good, but there will be a reason to endure it and overcome it, and that makes all the difference in the world.
What you do with tired depends on the type of tired it is. If its the demanding greedy kind, you must push back. If its the good kind, than feel your sore muscles, grab your third cup of coffee, and tell yourself that this too shall pass. It will pass and what will come will be absolutely, positively, unquestionably marvellous.
Cover photo generously provided by photographer Dimitry Schemelev.
