3 Reasons why burning the candle at both ends is a good thing

It’s better to burn out than to fade away.

The idea of ‘burning the candle at both ends’ apparently comes from the idea of being wasteful (burning something twice as fast without twice the benefit — in this case, the amount of light) or its the idea of burning yourself out by getting up early and working late into the night.

Neither are exactly what I mentally associate it with but I guess it’s closer to the latter.

Burning the candle at both ends is generally seen as a bad thing. A problem. A short-term approach that sooner or later will catch up with you. And leave you knackered.

I don’t see it that way.

I don’t see it as necessarily negative.

And I don’t want you to see it that way either.

Burning the candle at both ends to me means working hard and playing hard (wow that sounds so lame when you read it back).

You know what I mean though.

Burning as brightly as you can in each part of your life.

Living to the maximum in your work and in your relaxation.

Pushing your health and training.

Then pushing yourself when it comes to enjoying the rewards and fruits of your labour.

The healthy life burning brightly at one end and the hedonistic life scorching away at the other.

OK, eventually I guess the candle will burn out completely and leave a load of melted wax in a puddle.

But that’s alright. Let it dry and it’s soon hard enough to go again.

It’s also, really satisfying to pick at with your nails.

That analogy slipped out of my hands a bit there. Sorry.

Anyway.

There’s a limit obviously.

Going too hard is risky. Taking a blowtorch to both ends probably ends in disaster — be it rehab, breakdown, nervous exhaustion, stress or general unhappiness.

But that doesn’t HAVE to be the case.

I think burning the candle at both ends can be good!

Let’s face it. It’s a fucking candle.

You’re meant to burn it.

3 Reasons why burning the candle at both ends is a good thing:

1. The more candles burning you have in different/opposing parts of your life — the more light and energy you have. The easier it is to see, to help you join those dots. To ILLUMINATE your path.
2. Hedonism is a flame that burns bright but can be extinguished fast. That’s alright. There’s a comedown to everything. All things must pass. Don’t hold back in any area of your life. Fucking go for it. There’s always more wax to burn (you might sometimes have to let it cool down first!).
3. As mentioned so eruditely already. It’s a candle. You’re meant to burn it. Most candles don’t have a wick at both ends, but this metaphorical one does. You get to burn brightly in both directions. If you even dare take the risk of setting the candle alight first.

Finishing on a final heavy-handed metaphor.

The candle is your life. Or its a stage of life. Or a Summer. Or a relationship. Whether it’s one of those massive fat ones you steal from weddings that burn for ages or an IKEA tealight I dunno. You’re going to have to light it and find out.

But it’s not going to light itself.

This life of yours.

This light of yours.

And constantly worrying about it burning out is no way to enjoy the warmth and brilliance it creates.