Into the home stretch, the final push is on.
The finish line! Closing the gap. The end is near.
Or, as a carton of old would say, “That’s All, Folks!”
We work so hard for 40+ years to reach the end of a working career.
The last few years have been a hard push to close out well.
Then what?
We spend a few years winding down, and before you know it, aging takes over!
Before you know it, you’re preparing again for the end.
What does this mean?
I glance over my shoulder and realize it would be better to plan differently.
It’s not about money, time, or health.
Rather, it’s about enjoying more intentionally planned down times.
You cannot call downtime a vacation unless you slow down, change your pace, and fully embrace the recuperative powers of pausing life.
Maybe call them sabbaticals, time out, or break time!
How long would we last if we could pause in winter, branch out in spring, produce in summer, and wind down in fall?
Seasons have four, years have twelve, and somewhere, we consider 52, 24, 60, and 60 again.
Seasons, months, weeks, minutes and seconds.
Speeding up and slowing down every year.
Can we adapt, or should we stage life differently?
This morning, for the first time in years, we are gearing up for the family at Christmas, winding down for the year…only to wind up for a repeat performance in 2024.
I’m not ready to wind down for the final curtain, but I know how life works. We may never know when that comes.
I find myself in a double flux of energy – Gearing Up and Winding Down simultaneously.
That’s my life. What about yours?