A long time ago I dated someone who wanted to make movies. I could never understand this desire – let alone a career choice – because I had not yet found the importance of entertainment in my own life. It took years before I started appreciating movies. I was simply over-concerned with personal growth and development which meant all my free time away from work was spent “working on myself.” Well, as you can imagine, sooner than later I got burnt out.
Luckily, I’ve changed since then. Now I very much enjoy coming home to unwind with a funny film or romantic drama, and I’ve grown to understand the value of having entertainment in my own life. To me, “keep the night for the night” means that once the sun goes down, we too need to allow ourselves time to relax and calm down. Not only will our nervous systems thank us, but we will be inviting more balance into our lives. We will have more energy, creativity, and focus when we need to shift gears back into work mode or “self-improvement” mode.
Balance is about making time for everything in adequate proportions: sleep, work, play, exercise, spiritual growth, mental stimulation, socialization, entertainment, etc. ALL of these components are important and ALL of them add meaning, value, and pleasure to our lives. So, instead of being critical of another’s behavior just because you may not understand it, take some time to evaluate your own life first. Perhaps what annoys you most in them is the exact ingredient you need more of in your own life.