I am still learning where everything is within the Dubai International Financial Centre. DIFC is a sprawling place. With buildings spanning New York City blocks, podiums, mezzanines, and walkways angling off to attached, yet standalone structures, I still find myself confused about how to get from point A to B. As I walked yesterday, I found my eyes focused on the floor ahead, lifting my eyes occasionally to reaffirm I was heading in the right direction.
Twenty minutes in, I found myself in a living metaphor of life. Busy 24×7, it is easy to find one’s heart and mind trapped in the weeds. Sharing the point leadership of a start-up is a relentless call to be engaged. The sun-like reflection on the floor reminded me that there is more to life than what I choose to see. Life took advantage of the revelation and proceeded to challenge me as I waited in reflection for my first meeting of the day.
Rest, restoration, and recreation are choices that rest within me. I choose if. I decide when. I permission Divinity’s and Life’s willingness to help me refuel my heart and restore my soul. I am accountable for my choice. As a matter of priority, I am responsible for taking care of who and what I am. When I abandon this, I reimagine an old observation; “In this other text, he says, ‘They’ll never be able to sit down and rest.’” (Hebrews 4.5). In each moment and day, I have a choice.
Words and actions are telltales of the values and priorities I hold closest to my heart. I love the lesson reminders that have accumulated this week. They give me a foundation that tells me why I must decide when and how to rest. In this push, I hear the invitation to come, smell the roses, experience the wind. It is Divinity’s calling card, open to everyone.
I wake smiling, knowing there is a reason to pause and be still. In the quiet, I feel Divinity at work. If I am willing, there is much more.
