It Is Okay To Slow Down.

I grew up in the part of the world where people like business very much. As long as it's buying and selling, supplying goods and counting money, they're all for it. It's like their second Oxygen. Leave your house early in the morning and see the rush on the roads, everybody wants to be the first to open their stores so they won't 'miss customers'. In the afternoon, you barely have space to fix yourself on the road, especially on active market days. In the evening, that's when you'll realise that if you're not very athletic, you might walk home from wherever you're coming from because the struggle for transportation is on for the fittest, let's say, people that can even squeeze into a bus through the window.

Somewhere along the line, it started becoming a norm that being constantly on the hustle is just the way to go. In fact, you're doing the wrong thing if you're resting, even for a day. "You won't open your business today? Do you know how many customers you're going to miss?" Even if the business owner is not very okay in health, I heard people say, "Just manage and go, but you can sit down and not do so much."

What happened to sitting down at home and getting that complete rest?

Because I know there is no way a business man or woman will open and just sit without doing anything. It's a status quo that has been deeply etched in the minds of people. Once you're looking busy all the time, people take it that you're on point, you know the game, and of course, you have a purpose. One time, my mom was admitted to the hospital. The moment she could as much as change from laying down helplessly on the bed to sitting up with assistance, everything about the hospital started to bore her. She kept complaining how depressing the hospital looked, how she wanted to go home, but I know deep down that she just wants to go and open her business.

Because all the time, she kept talking about her customers, those who ordered some goods, and people she was supposed to pay for goods. At a point, she even asked my younger sister to go and open for her. This was someone who almost lost her life if not for how quickly we rushed her to hospital. I kept telling her to relax and have enough rest as the doctor said. The truth is, if people look for you and they don't see you, life goes on. All it will take is a few tears and some "sorry for your loss" and then everybody moves on without you.

Most times when my mom comes back from work, she'll always tell us how one or two persons fainted inside the market. Probably those people were having signs of sickness, but they still chose to come and make money first. This is one of the unwritten rules I am unlearning. It's okay to take some time off of being "always busy" and rest when necessary. All that 24/7 burnout to appear hardworking and make money isn't always worth it. It can even speed up the time of your death faster than you know. Some of the people that fainted in the market didn't wake up again. All that hustle, the money, and everything is now in the background, probably being enjoyed by others.

Rest isn't laziness, and taking it slow most days doesn't mean you're unproductive. Some of the greatest inventions in the world happened when people were in their calm state of mind. Life should not be measured by how tired someone is because they work round the clock. So no, goodbye to that "I must be busy 24/7 to fit into society and look important." I will take it slow when necessary and put in my best effort when it's time to hustle. Anyone who has a problem with that can take themselves to court, because I'll be somewhere else, chilling out.

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