The Extra Mile Podcast
The Extra Mile Podcast
Why Are We Tired?
Ever feel like "busy" is the only answer you give when asked how you’re doing? In this episode, we dive into why exhaustion has become the default diagnosis of our generation and how moving into an "achievement society" is leaving us burnt out.
From competing with elevated standards (and even AI) to balancing personal output, we explore why our bandwidth is stretched thin—and how scripture offers a way out.
What we cover:
- The Achievement Trap: Why we constantly feel the need to outperform ourselves.
- The Impact of AI & Social Media: How the baseline for performance keeps rising.
- Redefining the Yoke: Finding true rest through Matthew 11:28–30 and Galatians 6:4.
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#Podcast #Christianity #Burnout #FaithAndCulture #Rest #LubbockTX
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Email: the.emile.pod@gmail.com
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Sorry, that was horrible actually. That was me acting. Anyway, we're talking or I'm G5, and uh this is Justin. Hi. And that's Caleb and his coordinate.
SPEAKER_00Hey, hey, hey. Caleb's corner.
SPEAKER_02And this is a conversational podcast meant to be an easy listen for Christians and an engaging listen for non-Christians. And what we're talking about today is exhaustion and tiredness, hence the really bad acting that Justin will tell me, since he's a master actor.
SPEAKER_03I am only um well, it was fun.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_02No Academy Award here.
SPEAKER_03I'd like to thank the Academy.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, anyway, I saw, I read and see, I did see actually, and then I read an article. This is from a website called Unseen or Seen and Unseen. It's kind of a nifty article. Uh um a nifty uh website. Um anyway, this uh this guy's a Christian, and he talks about um why we're so exhausted, how exhaustion is really the diagnosis of our age. And um he goes into some depth. Um and he he points to this idea that we as a society used to be this um very disciplined society, and how everything was kind of like you know, the factories you go in, you punch a card, your your time clock your time card, and then you go out and you you know punch your time card and you're done. And you know, you're being controlled by often outside forces who are basically telling you these are the expectations, this is how we want it done, follow these guidelines. Um, and that's kind of how society was always kind of run. And he's saying it's now shifted and from a disciplined society to an achievement society. And this is where I thought it was kind of interesting because when I go and I shake people's hand almost every Sunday, this happens to me too. This is including me. I say, How are you doing? And I usually get, or how is your week? And I usually get busy. Busy just seems to be the word. I'm busy, busy, busy, busy, busy. You're busy, you're busy, I'm busy. And it just seems like we're busy. That busyness, I think, is code for other words like exhaustion, tired, um, why we feel like we are overwhelmed. And I think all that gets lumped in to describe kind of our generation right now, or at least how we're feeling. And that's made me think about busy for a long time and maybe how we deal with that, or how we get out of this rut that we seem to be in. Anyway, the observation that we are now in an achievement society kind of helped put some wheels on this car for me, I guess you could say, in that in today's society, now with the rise of technology and AI and the um the shrapnel from COVID, people are staying home more, they're working from home more, they're more self-employed. Um, the expectations from social globalization is all kind of self-centered, and everyone's competing with others, but also competing with themselves. I and my goal right now is motivated not from control from outside sources, but from inside, as in, I need to achieve the best body and the best physical health. I need to achieve, you know, my peak in career and work. I need to achieve the best here, I need to achieve this, I need to be the best parent here because we're seeing everyone else's achievements and realizing we need to then achieve ourselves. So we're spreading our attention and our focus, the article pointed out, very thin. Okay. And so we're trying to achieve almost too much. Does this make sense? Yeah. Do you feel like this resonates?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um, I do too. And especially now with the rise of AI. Another observation I've had with this is that it has actually raised the bar, like raised the standard, right? And so, like, it can do an image and graphic, and it can write an article, and it can write an email. The question is, it could probably do it better than you, or just as good, or it's getting close to. That means if you are going to be, you know, better than AI, you need to be better than average. You know what I'm saying? So it's actually like raise the standard a bit. Like, if you're gonna be a graphics designer, you better be a really good graphics designer, but it's appreciated. And so, achievement, I feel like, has been the goal for our generation. I think the older people are gonna have a hard time resonating with this. But I feel it. I don't I feel like everyone, all of you guys kind of feel it too, millennials and younger. Um, this idea of achievement.
SPEAKER_03What's the conclusion of so I mean I'm that's interesting that you bring that up about AI, it's true. I mean, even I don't know if you've gone to the airport yet, but they have a huge mural um as you're going into TSA, and it's AI generated. It's absolutely AI generated. Yeah, really?
SPEAKER_02The billboard going in the shallow water is AI generated. No kidding, yes. Wow, yes, it's everywhere now, it is everywhere.
SPEAKER_03Well, and so what I mean, what that is is it's you know, somebody made a lot of money being cheap. Um exactly, but you're right. I mean, I I definitely have sensed that at work, you know, and dealing with professional people. Um how I would say that it's a tool, but what I would absolutely uh put up as a signpost because I want to know what the ultimate conclusion is. Does that mean that we have to shift? Does that mean that our identity is about is being attacked, and that's why I particularly don't like AI? Or is it because I completely dismiss it because it's not it's not able to surpass my degree of thinking because of my investment in my education or whatever? So am I being arrogant by having those thoughts? And then I immediately think about the chess world. Do you remember when um I'm very familiar with the chess world? When um oh manus?
SPEAKER_02Before Magnus was Russian.
SPEAKER_03No, he's not Russian.
SPEAKER_02He's not Russian, but I know you're talking about, yes. Oh man, Kasparov. Kasparov. There, there we go.
SPEAKER_03So Gary Kasparov was really famous about they were putting computers to play humans in chess games. This is in the early games.
SPEAKER_02This was kind of the beginning of AI in the sense.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because it's a very fixed problem. There's very logical, and so all it is is about computing power. And so he was placed up against like deep blue or some some different type of engine. And when he lost to AI, I think the first time he did it, he kind of drew it. Uh like it was drawn.
SPEAKER_02At first, it was like humans were better, and then it was draw, and then it was now they're better than us.
SPEAKER_03And now AI or like computer is able to. I don't like AI, it's not AI, it's computer. So computer is able to beat humans. Yeah. So the engine surpassed human. So then Kasparov became a coach for Magnus. And so, you know, when they were working up his matches and stuff like that, they're and I he had some comment recently that I read um that I'm not able to recall, but he was mentioning how computers has changed the game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Because it's not about the old strategy of how to be the grand champion, is you find some niche little sect of moves that nobody else has played or studied, and then you set your team to really figure out okay, what are the 17 variations that I go from here? And then you can mine a couple of years of championships out of that. So, I mean, that obviously, you know, Carol Khan became very popular, and then the Sicilian defense became very popular. So, like now everybody just sort of studies that. Now, because of AI, it's so wide open, people are finding insane opening moves that no one studied. And so it's always it really has. Yes. And so I I think that you're right. I so now maybe it's amplifying the need to achieve where okay, I can't I can't draw as fast as the AI engine, but maybe we come up with something, maybe it's simplification, maybe that's the fad that's coming up now. No, we literally just live in a minimalistic society because what you want to you want a bunch of opulence and stuff to ruin it? I don't know.
SPEAKER_02Well, I think we can be exhausted at times.
SPEAKER_03I'm exhausted talking about all this.
SPEAKER_02Right, right. As Seinfeld would say, I don't know why you want artificial intelligence when you have real intelligence.
SPEAKER_03Do we?
SPEAKER_02I don't know. But I thought that was hilarious when he said it. Um however, with AI and you know, just social media, you know, and this idea of like being fit isn't just enough for me, right? Things are just not enough. The bar has been raised, other people are doing better, and um, and you're competing. Um you're competing with yourself and you're constantly trying to achieve. Yeah. And um, and that's really difficult to keep up with, and the bandwidth is is stretched thin. And so, I mean, there's a few Bible verses that I you know came up with that might help. Um but yeah, I'm not sure. I'm not sure. The one that I thought of though is uh Galatians chapter six, Galatians chapter six, uh, verse four. This is in the context of like the church and helping one another, bearing one another's burdens. Um you know, thinking you're something when really you're nothing, you deceive yourself. And then he says in verse 4, but let each one test his own work and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. Each will have to bear his own load. Um so with that, it's just you know, just realizing I think the article kind of alluded to this, but realizing that actually no, like the work that you're doing i is is enough. Um like you don't have to it's almost like you need to step outside the hamster wheel for a second and just like uh take a break, you know, yeah and and realize no, like you do the best that you can. Um and stop trying to just beat yourself down. Yeah. I think because in this achievement society, you've become your worst enemy. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03And and ultimately realizing that you can't earn your way into heaven.
SPEAKER_02No.
SPEAKER_03There's there's nothing that you I mean, what can you do to buy what transactional thing can you do in this world in your entire life to buy salvation?
SPEAKER_02But think of this in like a church context as it is, right? And in a community, when you're constantly trying to outdo your brother and sister and like, oh, they're doing more works than I, and I need to do even more works. It really becomes like a at that point, what is it? Is it for the works? Is it for the people you're helping, or is it actually you know for yourself? Yeah. And and at that point it's actually unhealthy.
SPEAKER_00Reminds me of Mary and Martha.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's actually another good story. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Martha's constantly just trying to achieve tasks, which and Mary's just sitting there at Jesus' feet, learning, listening, being patient.
SPEAKER_02I guess that leads to the other conclusion that I had, which was the famous verse that often gets out of con taken out of context. And I'm gonna try not to take it out of context, but I am going to shift the focus a little bit. All right. It's Matthew 11, and it's verse uh 29 through 30. Jesus has already just talked about, you know, all these cities who have rejected him, rebuking them in those cities. And then he he turns his attention toward, you know, telling people, inviting him to come follow him. And he says in verse 29, all right, we'll start verse 28. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Now, it seems to be he's talking about a reference to the yoke being the old law, since that's often how it was mentioned in other places. The old law being a yoke, like in Galatians. Um and so that seems to be what he's talking about. Like I need you to not follow the old law, right? I need I need you to follow me. Um in that sense, he's gonna fulfill the old law. And so my burden is light, my yoke is easy, he says. If you think about the old law and its context and how that's often an achievement-based society kind of that we're talking about, right? You did all the things, right? So you've achieved it. And we kind of talked about that too, like working for your salvation. I'm gonna try to achieve as much as I can. You have the Pharisees who seem to just be outdoing you. Yeah. Uh your righteousness actually needs to exceed the Pharisees and the scribes. And so you can kind of feel beat down, maybe even exhausted in this whole like you know, God achievement process and think, I don't know how I can do it. Yeah. And then Jesus does it for you and says, I want you to come follow me, because my yoke is easy, my burden is light. Um the the old laws that are replaced with Jesus. And so you can kind of take that same example, that pattern, if you will, to works that we do out in the world. And when we're exhausted and we're spread thin and we're trying to achieve actual physical success and think, you know, I I can do this. But we read this verse, and I think we sometimes read past it without actually considering the imagery of a yoke. Like imagine yourself actually the ox or in place of the ox and the yoke around your neck, and you're yoked usually to another ox. So imagine yourself yoked and you're yoked to whatever achievement you're trying to find. You have this field that you're trying to plow and you're yoked to, you know, um some sort of like your ideal ph physical, you know, peak physical fitness. Uh it's actually gonna actually ruin it. Imagine yourself yoked to yourself. I that would actually make me mad if I had to now plow this field and I was yoked to myself. I'd I'd be like, well, this will never get done. I'm gonna argue with myself till to death. You know, imagine yourself yoked to the old law. Imagine yourself yoked to um your past achievements. Yeah, actually not getting anything done. And if you imagine yourself yoked to actually Christ, to God, who's saying, you know what? I'm gonna do this with you, it actually changes my view of how this field is gonna get done. That's way more comforting.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. You said you said something that struck maybe because a creator, an inventor, someone who's blessed with that aha moment and achieves something very young. Like think think of a musician. Your best album that you wrote was when you were 21 years old or something. And now you're 65 and you've never been able to write anything better than you were when you were younger.
SPEAKER_02You know, how what a blessing it was to have that achievement early, but then kind of how it's a curse that uh, you know, whenever you're talking about an achievement-based almost transactional experience with your life or yourself, that really struck me when you said that is just I'm thinking of like look, we can't just like change the society that we live in per se, but we do live in an achievement-based society, it seems like now. And so how do we live in an achievement-based society and still not be exhausted and constantly busy? And I think if we think of ourselves as you know, completing these this field, this, this, all these achievements, when we're yoked to Christ, it's well, am I gonna do this work and is Christ happy with this? Not am I happy with this or myself happy with this, who I'm yoked to, or is my past happy with this, who I might be yoked to, or my future version of myself, my fantasy version of myself. None of those things are actually gonna achieve anything. But if I'm yoked to God, who's saying, I'm gonna plow this field with you, and is he happy with the work that I've done, uh then maybe I can be satisfied with the work I've done too.
SPEAKER_03Makes sense.
SPEAKER_02I hope so. Go try it out. Go sell.
SPEAKER_01If you want to know more about the Bible or you have any questions, our email is in the description below. You can DM us. We'd love to hear from you. And if you're looking for a church family or you're in the Lubbock area, we invite you to come visit and hang out with us in Milwaukee. We love for you to find a church who practices the love of Christ.