Rest is a creature of still waters

Some would call me a man of many.

Many lands, many crafts, many pursuits, many projectsand certainly, many Friends.Of those Friends, some of the ones I hold dearest areHustle, Ambition, Distractionand finally, Rest.These Friends belong to a family of siblingseach with their own personalities and in turn,I hold a unique relationship to each of them.

Hustle is obstinate, unyielding and hypnoticallycharismatic. He is ceaseless, restless, and yet embodies an energy and focus that consistently draws me under his spell. I never feel like I’m enough for Hustle, yet I answer his beck and call at almost every opportunity and there are many. Because despite Hustle’s egocentricity, he has a strength that I admire, a strength coupled with an essence of humility, perhaps derived from his unflappable and assured nature. He cares not for the land or sea, rain or sunshine; only the endless journey and its elusive destination.

His twin, Ambition, shares with him a close bond, but it shies in comparison to the relationship between Ambition and I. I like Hustle but I love Ambition. Where Hustle’s form is strong, simple and rigid, Ambition is an amorphous beauty. I’ve been enamoured by her beauty since I was a child, just as my father before me. She is, perhaps, the most eloquent Friend I know, and has always left me spellbound in our many conversations. She’s grown alongside me, and has changed forms several times throughout our time together. There have been times where I’ve denied her. Others where I’ve called her by a different name.

And yet, despite promising me no loyalty, shehas never left my side. She is an artist; constantly painting rich, vivid imagery of the places we could go together, the things we could build. What we have resembles romance. And like romance, my infatuation can lead me to Distraction, the youngest.

I share a contentious relationship with Distraction. They share some of the hypnotic beauty of their older sibling, but are far less charming in their expression. It was cute when we were young, but what was reminiscent of a puppy, now irritates me like a fly. I often lament Distraction’s seemingly constant presence, always trying to draw me away from what I’m trying to build with Hustle and Ambition. For my work, my goals and purpose, they care not. What’s more, they’re mostly unfazed by my anger towards them, and only seem to respect my space when I’m filled with stress and anxiety from an approaching deadline. Still, I willingly find myself in their company. They share their sibling’s charm and are, admittedly, quite playful. They often deliver on their promises of relief and are probably much smarter than I give them credit for. I can recount several times where they’ve been a light or comfort in times of great darkness. I think they do care for me but I just don’t always understand why they move how they do.

This brings me to the last of these Friends, Rest.Rest is a creature of still waters, while I find myself addictedto running on dry land.

Where Rest resides, I seem to flee.

Rest has occasionally tried to reach me through theirsibling Distraction, but Distraction is an unreliablemessenger.

In times of overwhelm, it is Rest that I have resisted infavour of Their other less mature siblings.They are perhaps the kindest of this family, for Rest neverundermines Hustle, the way Hustle does Distraction.

Rest never conspires with Distraction, the way Distractiondoes with Ambition.

Another thing I’ve often failed to appreciate is that Rest existsin harmony with all of their siblings. I often overlook Rest, butHustle, Ambition and Distraction adore their siblings.They hold Rest with the highest regard, because Hustle cannotsucceed without them.

Ambition finds the most space to dream alongside Rest.

Distraction yearns to be Rest, and grows more franticwhen Rest cannot be found.But Rest is never far.

I used to think that it was Restwho eluded me.

However these days I find that it is onlywhen I give myself to the water,that Rest finally

comes to visit.