Is this a good thing, I wonder? I don't really think so.
There is no question that we live in a busy world, leading busy lives. And as much as we often bemoan the fact that we constantly juggle a variety of responsibilities - "How have you been?" "Oh my goodness, I've been so busy lately!!" - at the same time, we carry our busyness as some sort of badge of honour. If we're so busy, we must be important, we must be doing important things, at least we like to tell ourselves so. After all, it's important to be busy isn't it? Or is it?
I don't believe that it's as important to be as busy as we lead ourselves to think it is. Indeed busyness or feeling productive has some merit in our lives but sometimes, not being busy is important too.
I have been guilty like any of you of overfilling my plate of things to do on any given day. There are a number of reasons as to why we do this. It can make us feel important and feed our precious ego. It can give structure to our day, feed our adrenalin-charged systems and ensure that we fit in with the pace of the rest of the busy world dwellers. Keeping ourselves busy can also provide a means to fill our day but ultimately it is not a way to fill our Self.
I was reminded of this truth recently. I'd been keeping myself very busy each and every day, 'doing' lots of things that I thought were important, that would lead me somewhere, things that I could talk to others about. Everyone was asking me what I was 'doing' so I wanted to be sure to have an answer, actually a long list of answers. "I'm working on a book. I'm organizing several workshops and some speaking engagements. I'm hosting a big fundraiser. I'm writing for a number of forums. I'm in 3 Toastmasters clubs. I'm training my puppy...and the list went on."
I was busy. In fact, I was so busy that I lost sight of what I was doing and what I truly wanted to be doing. I had lost my focus. I had also begun to realize that my busyness was actually not being very productive. I wasn't getting the results I'd hoped for and I had begun to lose my sense of excitement for what I was doing. Sound familiar?
It no longer felt good to me to say, "I'm busy." I decided to clear my plate and my schedule of all but pressing matters. The next time that someone asked, "So what are you up to?" , I was able to honestly reply, "I'm not being busy."
In the days that followed my decision to become less busy, I felt a huge weight had been lifted from my heart. I felt the joy of not feeling obligated. I felt the relief of deciding to take control of my time and not let busyness control me. Most importantly, I began to feel my excitement and my creativity return and I also felt the return of Me, my true Self and my personal power.
If you're also suffering from the chronic human condition of 'busy-it is,' listen in the next time you catch yourself saying "I'm busy!". How does it feel to be so busy? What are you busy with? Are you busy doing things that matter? Why is it important to you to be so busy? What is your busyness saying about you? Does your busyness reflect who you really are and what you truly want?
It's all about balance.
I do believe that there is merit in being busy (doing the 'right' things, at the 'right' time) but not all of the time; allow yourself some time for not being busy and to experience the joy of being able to say, "I'm not busy. And I don't plan on being busy...not right now anyway."
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Biography
