A CHANGE OF PACE
According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the
great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little
boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted
his time in such frivolous activity.
Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and
placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian,
"Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung
bow implies."
The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what
point Aesop was trying to make. The moralist explained, "If you
keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let
it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it."
So it is with us. Our minds and bodies are like the bow. When
constantly under pressures of everyday life, we can eventually
break. We need to loosen up; we need time to take the pressure
off and relax.
Former baseball pitcher Dutch Leonard might have put it a little
differently. He once said that the secret of great pitching is
not speed or the ability to throw curves. It's the "change of
pace." The average batter will soon learn to hit a pitcher who
continually throws the same kind of pitch. But it's hard to hit
against a pitcher who changes the pace of delivery. That change
of pace gives a pitcher the edge over the best of batters.
A change of pace likewise gives us an edge in life. Taking time
to watch the clouds, enjoy a breeze, take a walk, read or just
slow down is necessary if we are to be our best later. And a
regular day of rest is as important as regular sleep. It's a way
of taking the pressure off.
To be your best, make sure you change your pace. It may just be
the change you need.
