This Holiday Season, Rejoice, Reflect and Recharge

“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”

— Maya Angelou

“Even God rested on the seventh day.”

— Unknown

 Relatively speaking, “history” isn’t that old.

Herodotus is generally considered the first historian, having in 425 BC written The Histories about the Greco-Persian Wars, which took place several decades earlier. Okay, I’ll admit that anything “BC” seems pretty old — but considering modern humans have been around for 200,000 years, history is essentially the equivalent of a precocious toddler.  (Note: Literacy was a luxury for millennia, so history didn’t quite catch on with a larger audience until much later.)

Before Herodotus’ Histories, chronicling events as-they-happened simply wasn’t a priority. For something to be passed down, there needed to be a reason why beyond just recording dates and facts. People told stories – ones rooted in deep truths, but not necessarily factual — because they were memorable and spoke to the heart as well as the mind. And they wouldn’t tell just any stories – there had to be some level of entertainment, a valuable lesson or an insight worthy of portraying to posterity.

There’s arguably no more impressive collection of wisdom than the Bible, which is often referred to as the greatest story ever told. Every year as the holidays approach, I’m reminded of one of the first things that happens in that book.

The Book of Genesis describes how God created the world in six days and, on the seventh, he rested. Not only did he rest on that day, he thought it was so important that he “blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.”

Why is this particular action given such prominence? Because it’s important.  

My heritage is Jewish. The holiest day of the year in the Jewish tradition is Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. It’s the day we take stock of the previous year, ask for forgiveness where it’s appropriate, and look forward to the new year with the slate wiped clean. The day also calls for rest – work is forbidden on this holiday – as well as fasting. In fact, the day is sometimes referred to as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.”

Which is interesting, because the second holiest day of the year is… the Sabbath: The weekly day of rest (though definitely not fasting). The message is clear: Thousands of years of wisdom tells us that we need to periodically rest, recharge, and reflect.

Modern science bears out what our ancient forbears have already told us. Countless studies have shown that rest makes us more focused and productive. It helps with creativity and memory retention, not to mention making us less likely to snap at our relatives. But at heart, we all know that we need rest and, far too often, we don’t give it to ourselves. (If you don’t do it for yourself, consider your family and friends – rest and relaxation make us better people to be around).

Rest is essential, and this time of year gives us an increasingly rare opportunity to truly relax and unwind for more than just a day.

In other words: We have time.

Time to enjoy family and friends. To sit by the fireplace, or in the park, or on the beach (depending on where you live)… actually, you can sit anywhere and just be.

We are able to spend long hours away from our worries and distractions, and have ample opportunity to unwind, to exhale, to reflect on what’s important.

We have time to look back on the year that’s ending and begin thinking of the possibilities the next year holds.

This is the Season of Giving… but I think it’s also the Season of Recharging. So, as you celebrate with your family and friends, don’t forget to take some time to relax, to rejuvenate and to reset.

Happy holidays!