OK, I admit…yes! I am a busy person. You know those people, perhaps you are even one of them! People who have activities scheduled every night of the week, weekend plans, endless self-development pursuits. Sometimes you have to schedule a 20-minute coffee session with these busy people three weeks in advance. That feels like my life lately. Guilty as charged. But we need to be the best we can be, after all right? We busy people are curious and want to explore the world around us, to take advantage of every single moment we have on this precious Earth. And if this means we are busy, then so be it…right?
But while pursuing these activities and staying busy can be a beautiful thing, what is the downside? Are we so busy that we find we are dreading going to the activities that we are supposed to be so excited about pursuing due to burn-out? At what point does being busy prevent us from getting in touch with what we really want?
A couple thoughts come to mind. One is a reminder that the perspective we bring into a situation will determine how we experience it. As we continue on our busy roads, hastily preparing for the next activity, stop and think. Ask yourself: what is my current perspective on this activity? Does this work for me? If not, what perspective do I want to have? Take a moment and think consciously about how you want to experience your next activity. Because by making this choice, you are in essence deciding how you want to experience your life… and there is such power in that!
My other thought is about balance. With so many “doing” activities, we can often forget about the importance of “being.” This looks very different to each individual and may include a walk in nature, meditation, or yoga. The intent of all of these is the same – to be present to your life. The “being” space allows for creativity and exploration not typically found in our “doing” lives. Try it, you might be surprised at what you find out about what you really want.
So spring is here and I find myself making more time to stop and literally smell the cherry blossoms. I encourage you all to do the same. As I do this, I can’t help but recall a line from one of my all-time favorite movies: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Thanks for the reminder Ferris.
photo: (cc) Cherry Blossoms