Monáe's Musings | Fabulous and Fortunate Podcast

The autumn solstice calls our attention to the changing season and the noticeable crisp that falls into the air. Times of cider, cinnamon filling our senses, cozying by fires, leaves changing, and pumpkin spice lattes. With all this change in the air it brought me full circle with my being called to rest and pause. In deep reflection one day I realized that I was called to rest. Me wanting to be productive every single day began to wear me out. At first, I fought the call to rest and made up in my mind that I had to go, go, and go. I thought I had to continue to be extremely productive to affect change in the world. But once I answered the call and rested, I realized that by sitting back and being in a flow state I was able to fully open myself to spirit – speaking to and through me. And from that rest I’m able to create so many beautiful offerings.

When some of us feel the call to rest we simply do not or say we are not able to because of the demands of home, life, work, and family. But yet, when ailments such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure show up in our lives, we are forced to take a pause and deal with these new bouts of information. Including how to carry on life with these new diagnoses and mitigate their effects. I’ve always believed that if you don’t give your body what it needs, it will force you to give it what it needs.

Resting and pausing are natural cycles of life that are honored the least. We highlight the prize for the fastest winner. The most hustling entrepreneur. There’s so much pressure sometimes to even exist. Always feeling constantly monitored and that there’s something you must be doing at all times. Whether it’s idly scrolling on social media or always having the television on. The given time to truly pause and rest has gently been whisked away from us amidst the wake of an ever increasing capitalist economy. So it seems that rest is more radical now than ever. In a world of side hustles and scamming, it seems the strain between work and rest is furthering.

Yet, in my rest and my pause, I found that my creativity blossomed in ways unbeknownst to me. Being able to have nothing rushed and truly taking it easy was the antidote I didn’t know I needed. I’ve always had an ambition that precedes me, and have always constantly been on go and pouring my energy into the next venture that tugged at my skills. Yet, I’ve realized there’s so much beauty and prosperity through rest. There’s so much wisdom and joy in the pause. Especially the elongated pause. These pauses allow us to reflect on what went wrong recently, what went right. What did I like about that? What didn’t I like? How do I want my life to look moving forward?

And in a serendipitous and magical seeming way, fairies of creativity seemed to dance with my soul once I paused, sparking imagination and once again impassioned purpose. Once I truly rested, and didn’t feel guilty for it, new purpose came anew in hurdles and waves. And it did so because I gave myself that time.

Some call the ability to be able to rest a privilege, seeing as how everyone isn’t able to rest as easily. Well then, I am honored to have the opportunity. Yet, I believe everyone can rest in their own right, within their own confines. To rest simply means to cease work or movement in order to be able to relax.

At times true rest feels like an act of defiance, a journey into an abyss of the unknown. In my opinion, sleep is a basic requirement. Finding other ways to rest your mind, body, and spirit is the true game changer. Truly not worrying about anything can feel foreign. But as I’ve come to learn, the inaugural uncomfortableness of true rest is swift. The long-term impact is as sweet as pumpkin pie and as magical as fairies of creativity dancing with your soul.