Welcome to Minute with Mallon!
Something I Taught:
I was working with a client recently who told me something interesting.
He feels guilty when he's having fun.
My mind immediately went back to a lesson I learned about 25 years ago.
Around the year 2000, I began being mentored by a man named Colonel Harold Huff. Harold had been the helicopter pilot for two United States presidents back in the 1970s.
An incredible man and mentor to me!
One day, we were having lunch together, and he taught me something I've never forgotten.
We were talking about the importance of reading the Bible and praying.
Suddenly, he looked at me and said, "Robert, breathe in."
So I did.
I took a really deep breath.
And he just sat there across the booth, staring at me.
After about 20 or 30 seconds, I'm looking at him thinking, "What the heck, man?" 😂
After about 40 seconds, I couldn't take it anymore. I breathed out and started gasping for air!
He looked at me and calmly asked, "Robert, did you want to breathe out?"
"YES!" I said. "Desperately!"
Then he taught me something I've remembered ever since.
He explained it something like this:
"Robert, God designed you to breathe in AND breathe out. You can't just do one. Both are necessary for life.
"And that's how God designed the rest of your life.
"You need to work, but you also need to rest. You need to give, but you also need to receive. You need to pour into other people, but you also need time to refill yourself.
"And when it comes to your relationship with God, you breathe in by reading His Word and breathe out by talking to Him through prayer.
"There's a rhythm to life, Robert. And problems begin when we get that rhythm out of balance."
God never designed us to live our lives holding our breath.”
I shared that story with my client.
He got it.
You see, so many of us have convinced ourselves that if we're not working, producing, or accomplishing something, we're somehow wasting time.
But there's a rhythm to life.
Work and rest. Responsibility and recreation. Giving and receiving. Productivity and enjoyment.
Fun isn't something you have to earn by working hard enough. It's part of the rhythm of a healthy life.
Rest isn't the reward for a productive life. It's part of what makes a productive life possible.
So here's my question to you:
Are you enjoying the rhythm of life God designed for you, or are you spending too much of your life holding your breath?
Something to Ponder:
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."
Anne Lamott
Something I Saw:
Sandy while we were hiking through Hickman Bridge Trail in Capitol Reef National Park.
Think this could help someone? Share the link: RobertMallon.com/Newsletter
👉 I'd love to hear your thoughts. Reply directly to me at: Robert@RobertMallon.com
Hope you have an incredible week!
Robert
