Burning the candle at both ends.
Burning the candle at both ends.
Inertia — Nº153
The oak tree stands firm in the earth, its branches swaying effortlessly in the breeze. They embody the secret of endurance that lies not in constant striving but in the strength found in stillness. And maybe that’s why we grow deep attachments to them. Because they teach us how to anchor ourselves amidst any storm, and how to draw energy from the natural soils of solitude and silence.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s long and short. A path with twists and turns, peaks and valleys. And just as the marathoner paces themselves along such a path, conserving energy for the long haul, we on the outside of the event must be no different. Run your own race at your own pace.
The frantic hustle to every finish line we reach isn’t where we find fulfilment. It is how we burn ourselves down to ash. Rather, find a steady cadence through each step, each breath, and each moment you could savour along the way. Put another way, the standards you set yourself and the depth of your focus when meeting them are like a burning candle; work too fast or hard, and you’ll swelter with reckless abandon. But go at the right pace for you, and you’ll create a gentle glow that can be enough to light up any night.
People think they can mould the world to the standards they set themselves. Or they believe they can sustain a harsh pace for as long as they want. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”. And some people — often the ones with the most money — might get closer to this goal than others, but will almost always lose a lot along the way. In our modern world, where hustle is deemed the pinnacle of success, it’s easy to get caught up in always being goal-oriented or obsessed with ROI or determined to make your life more of a whirlwind for the sake of a brag. People chase deadlines, juggle responsibilities, and stretch themselves thin in the pursuit of dreams. But like an elastic band, similar to our muscles, there’s only so far we can push before we snap.
The thirst for haste can make you forget how delicate the dance of balance is. People run around seeking validation but losing how to think for themselves and separate signal from noise, escape groupthink, or inspire people. The rush ignites both ends, and they all risk not only extinguishing their light but also their entire selves in the process.
A great dancer knows when to pause, catch their breath, and feel the music pulsating in their veins. And the same should go for you. Learn the rhythm of your own existence. Use the beat to help you feel momentum and sync. A softly flickering lone candle reminds us that independence and beauty are found in simplicity. It does not need to burn obscenely to get you where you want to be. Your destination is your decision, and you mustn’t succumb to those who believe there’s only one way to be right. The power is not in pursuing success to define you but in the depth of your presence and the things you share along the way. So remember: don’t burn the candle at both ends. Let it cast its glow and burn brightly, but one flicker at a time.