Getting Into Rhythm
Today is Friday. Knowing that, I have a few expectations of how the day will unfold and what’s waiting on my to-do list. The week, the month, each day has its own routines that create a rhythm to my week.
It feels good to have rhythm in our lives. And although we may fight against it because unscheduled hours seem so freeing, the fact is that we all do better within systems of structure and routine.
The Rhythm of Life
The more we look, the more we see that all of life operates on a pattern or cycle. Life thrives on order.
The earth rotates around the sun on a cycle, which gives our system of time: years, months, days, hours, minutes.
Our hearts beat roughly 70 times per minute, during which we draw breath every few beats. We sleep, wake and eat – for the most part – on a daily routine or rhythm. Our digestive system operates in regular waves; we even chew in rhythm. We come into this world through the rhythmic, timed contractions of child birth.
In nature, animals migrate and hibernate in regular patterns, and the seasons change in an unstoppable cycle. The tides ebb and flow, and the moon waxes and wanes.
People have a natural desire for order, and we unknowingly seek it. We can’t help but keep beat with our favorite song; there’s a reason that music is like air for so many of us. The rhythm of its beat grounds and stimulates us at the same time, while the beauty and order of musical harmony satisfies our need for expression.
We rock our babies with back and forth to soothe them. And as adults, it’s important to find the pace and patterns that suit us personally. There is a happy place where our days have structured routine that keeps us productive and on task, yet still leaving space for breath and creativity. The pause between each beat is just as important as the beat itself.
What is the rhythm of who you are? How can you find the beat and make it work for you?
Find your own rhythm and march to your own drum –
