I am not busy today. There, I said it. Its a Saturday. There are quite a few things on my "to do" list. Im sure I will get a few of them done. Maybe I will get them all done. Or maybe I will CHOOSE not to. Maybe for part of today, I will do nothing, absolutely nothing..Grab a glass of tea and sit on my balcony and let the sun hit my face..doing nothing. Perhaps Ill take a nap, which really is doing something. I know many people consider taking a nap to be doing nothing-I dare to disagree.
I have noticed a trend in the last few years. When I ask someone how they are doing, I often get this response: "busy." This is usually accompanied by a weary sigh. Or I will call someone and the person answers with "Im so sorry I've been out of touch. I've been so busy." They may then go on to give me a litany of their "busy." What in the world is going on, people??
Busy is a choice..always! I woke up this morning and I had the same amount of hours stretching before me that we all do. Believe me, I have plenty to do to be busy. I am going to CHOOSE what I do, however. I am going to prioritize. I am not going to use "busy" as an excuse.
Our society has somehow made busyness a badge of honor. It is not. Period. "Busy" is used as an excuse for: not taking care of ourselves, not maintaining relationships, not calling an elderly parent or a sibling, not getting together with friends, not getting outside, not getting fed spiritually, not exercising, not sleeping, not eating right...the list goes on and on..So..when "busy" is used in this way, then it becomes a four letter word. It becomes toxic. And ladies and gentleman, "busy" has become toxic!
We are not more important because we are busy. We don't get a reward for being the busiest person. Do we get more things done by being "busy"? Questionable..very questionable. I know people in very stressful occupations, who are working 60-70 hours a week. Some of these people have never told me that they are "busy." I see pictures of them out to dinner, hanging with their friends. I hear about how most nights they go to bed early. I hear about their lives and how they really are. I DONT hear about how "busy" they are. And to be honest, it is these people, whose lives I cannot keep up with, who I hear from the most. They know that more important than their "busy" lives, are the relationships that they want to preserve. They have put their priorities in the right place. They know that they are no more important because they are "busy." They also seem to realize that it is OK to not be busy, to have that downtime..to reconnect.
A wise young person, all of twenty years old, asked me a question the other day and it stopped me in my tracks. I was thinking this "busy" thing was just me. She said " What is the deal with people talking about how busy they are? Who cares?! It's just a big yawn!" Touche! What I care about is how you really are. Busy does not describe that. Are you happy? What have you really been up to besides being "busy?" You are important because you are you, not because you think you are "busy."
We all have those days or weeks, maybe months, that are just crammed with things to do, work, activities, whatever. We live in a world where something is always pulling at us. We are updating, texting, tweeting or whatever the latest and greatest thing is. Unless you update, text or tweet for your job, this is not really something that is making you "busy", unless you CHOOSE it to. I update, text and tweet..I enjoy it. It is, however, a CHOICE. Just like when I CHOOSE to do nothing, or to take a walk. Or to turn off my phone and take a nap(holy smokes-but if someone is trying to reach me!! OH BOY!) Or to write a blog..I don't have to write this blog. It does not earn me income(yet). I enjoy it, so today I made it a priority. I CHOSE to let other things wait.
When we die, our tombstone will not read "He(or she) was busy." At least I hope it doesnt. Instead, I hope for all of us, that it will read, and people will say, "She was a friend. She listened. She had fun. She thought of others. She took care of herself. She cared. She had her priorities straight. She made a difference." THAT is a badge of honor!
