When the World Is Too Bright

I need the room to be dark when I sleep.

And I mean dark.

Pitch black dark if I can get it there.

Staying at hotels is often a fun challenge for me.

The alarm clock numbers shine brightly.

Nightlights in every bathroom.

Even the temperature on that clunky hotel unit gives off a glow that is bright enough to keep me awake.

Picture this...

I'm getting ready for bed in a hotel anywhere.

Closing the bathroom door to shut out the nightlight. Flipping alarm clocks over to hide the red glow of the numbers.

Last night, I even had to improvise and use an envelope from the Valentine's Day card that Brian got me to dull the brightness of the temperature display.

But I eventually get the room to be dark enough for me to fall asleep.

At home, I can control this and have a lot less to think about when I crawl into bed.

But out in the world, there's a lot of brightness I don't have much control over.

The world is extra bright right now.

Not just with light, but with noise, with competing priorities, with a never-ending To Do list.

All the things that over-stimulate us and make rest feel impossible.

We all feel it.

Some days it's manageable and we rest easy.

Other days, it's nearly impossible to sleep because the light is just too bright.

What can we do to find ways to rest in a too-bright world?

We have to shut out some of the light.

• Turn off the news.

• Silence our phones.

• Say no to a few things that don't add value.

• Choose our friends wisely.

• Breathe deeply.

Most importantly, we have to make sure to pause and reflect on all of the good in our lives.

The world may try to over-stimulate us, but ultimately we have the power to choose to close our eyes from time to time.

Shut out the things giving off too much light.

Make the room go pitch black.

And rest.

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