Ever since I was a child, it was ingrained in my head that we should have a day of rest because that’s what God did in the creation story. It’s even one of the ten commandments to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. In America today, capitalism reigns and drives us to produce. What are you worth in America if you’re not producing something of value to others? Similar sentiments are probably held in every other capitalistic nation across the world.

Before I go any further, let me say that I have nothing against capitalism. I feel that it has allowed for incredible things to happen in the world that may not have been accomplished under other sociological structures. That being said, I do feel that it has affected how we see our place in the world as well as how we spend everything from our money to our time.

Today was my day off. I often have plans to get stuff done around the house, volunteer with my kids’ school, or just do some reading and maybe play my guitar. Today I just wanted to have a lazy day. I know that having a personal “Sabbath” or day of rest does not mean just sit around and do nothing, but sometimes that’s all I want to do.

After spending a lot of time just sitting around, eating, watching TV, and trying to get my youngest son to do all the same, I realized that I was starting to feel guilty for not accomplishing anything. If most people took a look at my week, they might say that I deserve a day to just sit back and relax, but I didn’t feel that way. I think that’s where the capitalistic mindset of our culture have made an impact on my psyche.

Our culture is driven by production. We produce and produce and produce, and when we aren’t producing, someone else is so that the production machine doesn’t stop. The world doesn’t stop spinning, so why should anything we do in the world stop. You might be thinking that feeling guilty for stopping for a day is a result of being overworked, but I’d disagree. I am not overworked at all. I may be asked to continually try to improve on the tasks that I carry out throughout the week, but there is a lot of space and flexibility built in to my job.

I think being surround by a never-stopping, fast-paced, production-based society has pressed in on my psyche (from the Greek word, ψυχή [psykhe], meaning “soul, mind, breath, life”) to the point of sometimes feeling that my worth is dependent on what I am producing. That doesn’t seem to be a very healthy perception to me. I don’t always feel this way, but I did today. I’m sure a lot of you have felt the same way at some point. I’d be interested to hear how you were able moved past it or how you are dealing with it now.