HARLEY SAYS: YOU’VE DONE ENOUGH

First start with a breath…

Take a deep breath.

Breathe in the fresh air.

Breathe out the frustration, stress, and exhaustion.

Welcome to The Pasture.

Harley — Relaxation Correspondent
Retired world champion. Currently specializing in doing absolutely nothing.

AT THE GATE

There is always something else that could be done on a farm. Another bucket could be scrubbed. Something could be swept. A fence could probably use attention. There is almost certainly something somewhere that needs fixing.

The same thing happens in the house. There are dishes, laundry, emails, bills, and that one thing you have been meaning to do for three weeks.

Harley has reviewed the list.

He would like to know why you're still looking at it.

WHAT WE’RE DOING: RESTING WITHOUT EARNING IT

A lot of us have learned to treat rest like a reward. We tell ourselves we'll sit down when the work is finished, take a day off when everything is caught up, or relax once we've been productive enough to deserve it.

There's one problem with that plan: the work is never completely finished.

Today we're practicing something that can be surprisingly difficult—stopping anyway.

TRY THIS: DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Give yourself a small block of time with no purpose. It can be ten minutes, half an hour, or an entire afternoon if you have it.

Find somewhere comfortable and sit down. Lie on the couch. Sit on the porch. Stretch out under a tree. Watch the clouds. Listen to the birds. Drink something you like.

The important part is that you don't turn the time into another task. You don't need to meditate correctly, finish a book, hit a step goal, organize your thoughts, or use the time to become a better version of yourself.

For a little while, your only job is to exist.

WHERE DOES THIS COME FROM?

Cultures and religious traditions around the world have long created intentional periods for rest, stillness, contemplation, and stepping away from ordinary work. Modern research has also connected adequate rest with physical and emotional well-being. Somewhere along the way, though, many of us started treating every free minute as an opportunity to accomplish one more thing. Harley's approach is considerably simpler: sometimes the healthiest thing on your schedule is nothing.

FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH

Harley knows a little something about accomplishment. Britt adopted him when she was sixteen, trained him, and together they worked their way all the way to becoming world champions in Hackney ponies. Harley had a career. He competed. He performed. He accomplished plenty.

Now he's 34 years old and retired, and Harley has absolutely nothing left to prove. His days are considerably slower. He eats. He naps. He stands around with the other horses. He enjoys the sunshine. And if everyone else suddenly starts acting like something urgent is happening, Harley is perfectly capable of deciding that it has nothing to do with him.

Humans could learn something from that.

You don't have to spend your entire life proving that you've worked hard enough to deserve a break.

Harley's rule is:

You've done enough. Go lie down.

Whatever is left on the list will probably still be there when you get up.

THE PASTURE

Ground with Mavis. Pamper with Sugar. Relax with Harley.

#ThePasture #RelaxWithHarley #RainbowConnectionFarm