Lesson 9: Rest

Rest is beloved. Whether it is taking your family on a vacation to Hawaii or spending a Sunday afternoon reading a book, rest is required for longevity. Last Sunday, I spent the afternoon reading Paradise by Toni Morrison. I sat still on the couch while sunlight painted the room with stripes through the blinds. For hours, I turned the pages immersed in Toni’s characters, not once thinking about Monday lurking around the corner. Rest is beloved because it reminds me how I deserve to have a life outside of work that only belongs to me.

Applying to business school takes at least a year, and there is not much time for rest. When you are not working full-time, you study for the GRE or GMAT. When you are not studying, then you write applications. When you are not writing an application, you attend events to meet admissions officers. When you finally submit your application, you prepare for interviews. Nights and weekends belong to business school, so rest is a rare luxury. I promised myself that when I got into school, I would not have a week without rest. I kept this promise because if I can keep this promise then I know I can keep my other commitments.

One of my biggest professional commitments today is pursuing my dream of ETA. Last night, I spoke with a current student at my school, and he said, “ETA is a grind and a half.” The work graduate school requires is intense. Ask any graduate student. When you add the taxing journey of raising a few million dollars and finding a business to acquire while balancing classes, you do not leave much time for rest. 

My mission to increase representation of Black leaders at the executive, investor, and board level and my commitment to rest will bump heads with this mission. But I appreciate the tension. Competing priorities creates a balance so I do not overcommit to my work nor do I lose momentum with my passions. I have confidence I can work really hard, but there is more to life than working really hard. There is rest. In big and small portions. The dreams I have of leading a trade school are possible, not in spite of, but because I keep my commitment to rest.

Rest is Lesson 9. Next week, I will share Lesson 10: Community.