We’ve got to make room in our life for the clash of color and excitement alongside calm and inaction.

For example, on this excursion I took to the Great Sand Dunes, I took a few minutes by the river up at Zapata Falls to just sit. Simply sitting and listening, with no agenda or intent.

It was truly refreshing, in a way I’m not sure I can fully explain. The space of being able to “let go” and know that nothing bad is going to happen because I’m not actively pursuing something. Nothing is going to come due or fall apart if I’m not there to watch it.

I’ve begun to take these times more intentionally. A sunday afternoon spent indoors, watching a movie, listening to a few records, and sipping tea. A weekday night spent simply sitting down and listening through an album in its entirety, before moving on to a group discussion. Even nights where it’s an hour of Halo or Doom followed by an early bedtime. These are all real things I’ve done, and will continue to do so.

There’s a franticness to the world today, and especially with people my age, that seems to tell us “If you’re not actively pursuing something, working, or hustling on the side, you’re failing” and I absolutely reject that idea.

Humans are built for work, sure, but it’s also in our nature to have downtime. And in this world, if we aren’t intentional about that downtime, I’m afraid we’ll forget it and drive ourselves off a cliff of misery.

Take some intentional breaks this week, see what happens.