I remember night after night, week after week, month after month, and year after year, working like a dog. Day in and day out (also night in and night out), I cleaned offices, malls, theaters, hospitals, and pretty much any kind of commercial building you could think of.

And I just remember the feeling of being exhausted so much of the time.

But here I am, looking back on the week I’ve just had on vacation in the Dominican Republic with my fiancé’ Holly, feeling blessed with how much rest and relaxation we were able to enjoy.

Yet I reflect on those years in the cleaning company, and even on the more recent years where I’ve continued to work incredibly hard, long hours to build what I’m building, to help more people, and to make a greater impact on others…

And I’ve had a revelation recently. I have worked so long and so hard for so many years that when the time comes for me to rest, I have to actually audibly say to myself, "Paul, it’s time to rest. Paul, enjoy the fruits of your labor."

And it takes intentional focus and even energy to slow down, to quiet my mind, and to quiet that part of me that feels like I "should be" working every waking moment of the day.

But the truth is, that’s not how I’ve been created to live and operate. And the same is true for you. I could pretty easily be labeled a "workaholic," and I’m fine with that (lol).

But I also need to recognize that there isn’t necessarily glory in that title.

I’ve prided myself on working so hard, that I actually realize I’ve programmed my mind and my belief system upon this idea that I can’t slow down, that I have to keep going, and that there’s no time or room for rest.

…But now, I’m working on changing that.

Yes, there will be times when I have to work crazy long hours because we have a launch coming up or a big project that’s on the cusp of completion…

But there is an ebb and flow to everything in life, including ourselves and our need to not just produce, but to also enjoy what we’ve created, and to take time to slow down.

So, I can tell you, I spent the last week very intentionally slowing down. And I think I did a pretty good job of doing so (perhaps Holly should be the best judge of that, lol).

But anyways, we had a beautiful trip in a beautiful country, surrounded by a beautiful ocean.

And I feel good.