“Reduction” is in the air for 2024. I pulled something from the aether last month about this. Then a couple of days ago I saw Emma Gannon’s Substack post, “Instead of ‘smashing goals,’ how about adding more creative rest?” And then a friend of mine posted on Facebook, “My word for 2024: Reduction.”
I loved what Emma said:
“Instead of adding on goals, I’m entering into this new year with this intention/question: what can I take away? What can I do less of? How can I incorporate more creative rest?”
Amen, sista. I’m all about those long walks with a prayer rope in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, getting ever closer to petting and befriending that family of deer that reside on the bucolic grounds of the monastery.
But I have bad news for myself and my brothers: Now isn’t the time for rest. It’s time for boot camp, especially if your hands are cramping with the exertions of your Xbox controller.
What do I mean by “boot camp?” Well, I’m not excluding going all “prepper,” though I think that’s probably a good idea. I mean that we need to prepare to fight the spirit that presided over the Colosseum, and later, over the gulag.
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