Trying Too Hard

Before I knew it, I had been running at full speed again today.
At work, I try to meet people's expectations; at home, I move for my family; and when friends ask for favors, I smile and say, "Sure."
Suddenly, I check the clock to find it's late at night, and the moment I collapse into bed, I breathe a sigh of relief, thinking, "I worked hard today." Yet, beneath that relief, I realize that both my heart and body are wearing thin.

Being "tired from trying too hard" is by no means unusual.
In fact, it is something that earnest and sincere people are more prone to.
The stronger the desire to meet expectations, the harder it is to say no, and before you know it, your own time is being whittled away.

And what remains in the end is not a sense of accomplishment, but the question, "Why am I so tired?"

Psychologist Eric Berne pointed out that there are five unconscious commands in the human mind called "drivers."
One of them is "Be strong" (or "Try hard"). This may be something you were told repeatedly by parents or teachers when you were a child.
"If you don't try hard, you won't be praised," "If you don't try hard, you won't be loved"—such imprints remain even as an adult, leading to feelings of guilt when you rest.

But in reality, "trying too hard" does not necessarily lead to results.

In fact, when you lose your composure, both efficiency and creativity decline.
People who work overtime all the time at the office are not always the ones who are valued, and a mother or wife who has lost her smile at home is someone who should be cherished more than anyone else.
Perhaps what is important is not the total amount of effort, but whether you can leave some space in your heart.

I want you to remember.
When small children are playing, they aren't thinking about "trying hard." They are just absorbed in digging in the sandbox, drawing pictures, or humming a song. There is no fatigue there; rather, they are overflowing with energy.

What adults lose when they are "tired from trying too hard" might be this "sense of being absorbed."

So, if you are tired right now, you should try giving yourself a little permission.
"It's okay to cut corners a little today," "It's okay to rely on someone," "It's okay to rest." Just by whispering those words, the weight on your heart will feel a little lighter.
Relying on others or stopping for a moment is not a weakness.
It is a strategy for continuing to run for a long time.

To "try hard" is beautiful.
But to "try too hard" consumes you.
What is important is not the total amount of effort, but the feeling with which you are doing it. Effort within a range that allows you to keep smiling is what warms those around you and fulfills you as well.

True happiness cannot be measured by numbers.

No matter how much work you get done or how many times people say "thank you" to you, it is meaningless if your heart is exhausted.
What is important is not thinking "I worked hard today," but being able to think "I had a pleasant day today."

If we can remember that fact on a night when we are tired from trying too hard, we might be able to embrace ourselves a little more gently.

The previous #SeriesThatCannotBeMeasuredByNumbers was...

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