Should We Honor the Sabbath?
I got an interesting email message this morning from a reader of WebbyOnline. His name is Carl and he says:
Just a quick thought - the Sabbath - a day of rest - is the most important thing that we can do for ourselves. Don’t neglect it and be true to it. You should take a day - weekly - where you have NOTHING to do with work - I know, it may seem like fantasy for an entrepreneur but it is the best thing that you can do for your business to keep you fresh.
Very interesting point. The Sabbath has slightly different meanings depending on the religion. In this country, it is typically thought to be on Sunday and is a day where we don’t work and we worship. Unfortunately, though, the Sabbath is generally considered to be something that only the really religious practice. But, why is that?
Many typically religious traditions come from real common sense. After all, religion is meant to better people’s lives. The whole idea of kosher food, for example, really bears out to the fact that it is simply healthier and cleaner. Pork is not considered kosher, however it is also true that pork happens to be one of the more contaminated meats you can eat. Same for fish. Kosher rules say that fish is only kosher when it has scales and fins. Seafood without scales tends to have higher levels of mercury, which is poisonous. So, while many religious tenants have been altered over the years, there is a lot of good common sense to be had there. And I think the same goes for the Sabbath.
Take a Day Off
As an entreprenuer, I work alot. And that’s an understatement. But, sometimes I just need a break. Sometimes I burn out to the point where I just don’t want to sit in my office anymore. When that happens, I typically will get all pressing matters done and then quit early and go goof off somehow. Regardless of the intensity of the work schedule, though, the idea of honoring the Sabbath is a good idea. We all need a day off, and as Carl says, it really is a GOOD thing for your business and it will keep you fresh.
Personally, I don’t always make Sunday that day. But, most weekends, I typically make one day or the other a total day off. This last Saturday, I spent some time with my wife before lunch and actually SLEPT for two hours in the middle of the day. The idea of taking a nap is so foreign to me usually, but that’s what I did. And you know, Sunday I was just itching at the bit to get some work done in the office. And I was actually pretty productive for a Sunday.
So, Carl’s advice rings true for me. And for that I thought I’d pass it on. Regardless of your religion, honoring the Sabbath has its roots in plain common sense. And those of us, especially, who work online really need a whole day per week where we literally FORGET about the computer, the internet and our precious email. Screw it all. We do all this so that we can have a life and enjoy ourselves. If you don’t take the time to do that, why are you working so hard?
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Comments
It’s funny that you posted this today as I had written a blog entry about taking tomorrow off which I hadn’t yet published when I read this.
I am horrible about taking time off and when I do, it’s usually because there’s a funky smell coming from my office. Then I realize that it’s coming from me because I haven’t made it to the shower in two days. And the kids have been eating plain toast and powdered Tang for three meals a day. And I have rickets or scurvy or whatever you get for lack of exposure to the sun. And carpal tunnel doesn’t seem like a fake injury anymore.
It is so important to walk away and I am with you when you say we do this because we want to have a life and enjoy ourselves. I know that’s why I’m doing this.
Setting aside time to rest from life’s labors is one of the wonderful principles we learn looking at the Sabbath. Let me put another twist on this perspective. Setting aside time to spend with our spouses. We focus so much of our time on making ends meet and reaching career goals that we sometimes loose touch of those we love most. The Sabbath was a time set aside for one’s relationship with God. One could say that God was making a “date” with us. It was a scheduled date, a way of making sure that the God-mankind relationship was maintained. It’s a good idea. Let’s schedule time to be with the one’s we love.
From the comment above:
And I have rickets or scurvy or whatever you get for lack of exposure to the sun.
Point of clarification: rickets is probably what you’re thinking about, which is caused by lack of vitamin D. Vitamin D can be obtained from exposure the sun.
Scurvy, on the other hand, is caused by lack of vitamin C. If you really had scurvy, this would be very unusual because it usually takes around two months of total vitamin C deprivation to start noticing serious symptoms. Because this ingredient is present in so many foods and supplements nowadays, modern incidence of scurvy is very uncommon.
Thank you for publishing my comment - it’s a true honour for a wannabe geek like me. This is something that I hope people will take to heart - including myself.