Sabbath and Sabbatical: Understanding the Assignment

When I joined the Learning Forte team early in 2022 I was delighted to be part of an organization with articulated values such as “embodied spirituality” - something that has long been a personal pursuit for me. I was further pleased to find out that they are not just empty company statements living in a Google doc, but ones that we as an organization strive to put into practice in tangible ways.

I recently returned to work from my combined sabbatical and sabbath time, and have a new perspective on the potential benefits offered by this model. I organized my time weeks away so that the middle of 3 weeks was spent at the beach on a family vacation. I was clear that this was my sabbath rest. The question I need to answer was this: What exactly does sabbatical mean to me?

The way we have talked about Sabbatical is that we are encouraged to use this time to do things that fulfill other parts of our vocation and help us to become a fuller version of ourselves. I knew that for me this would entail three things for sure - making music, spending quality time with loved ones, and learning something new. On the surface, none of these things have much to do with the responsibilities of my daily job at Learning Forte, but they all support my well-being as a whole person, and in turn as a leader on our team.

I’m happy to report that the organization of my time away allowed me to experience an unwinding from and a rejuvenation toward re-entry in a way I had not anticipated. I find myself thoughtfully prepared to tackle challenges in this new quarter and ready to lead in refreshed ways. How are you finding time to refresh and rejuvenate?

written by Sarah Lawing
July 2024