Resting Isn’t Lazy — It’s Leadership
There’s this lie floating around in the culture:
That rest is weak.
That slowing down is failure.
That if you’re not grinding, you’re falling behind.
It’s the kind of thinking that burns people out before they even know who they are.
It’s the kind of thinking that mistakes exhaustion for achievement.
And I’m not interested in it.
At all.
Here’s what I know now:
Rest isn’t laziness.
Rest is leadership.
Rest is resistance.
Choosing to rest—when the world demands you keep producing, fixing, explaining—is an act of self-trust so deep it looks almost rebellious.
It says:
I don't have to be constantly visible to matter.
I don't have to collapse to prove I'm doing enough.
I don’t have to earn my worth in sweat.
"If you get tired, learn to rest—not to quit."
— Banksy
Soft power knows when to pause.
It knows that the fire needs tending, not endless burning.
It knows that creation comes in cycles.
It knows that winter is just as sacred as spring.
When you rest, you’re not stepping out of leadership—you’re stepping into it.
Because you can’t lead well from depletion.
You can’t serve from resentment.
You can’t build from survival mode.
And you don’t owe anyone your burnout.
I used to think rest was a reward.
Something I got after I'd hustled myself into the ground.
Now I know:
Rest is the root system.
It’s where clarity grows.
It’s where resilience is born.
It’s where real, steady power comes from.
You want to be unshakable?
Start by honoring when your body says, Enough.
Start by refusing to worship at the altar of exhaustion.
If you’re tired, let yourself be tired.
If you need to step back, step back.
You’re not lazy for listening to your body.
You’re not lazy for taking your time.
You are leading yourself home.
And that is some of the fiercest work there is.
—
Dee
(In your corner, always.)