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Hi, Happy New Year! Great to see you...it's been too long. How are you? Busy. Me too. Let's get together soon. Yes, lets. I'll have more time after I finish this class. Hi, how are you? Busy. We're remodeling. Hi how are you? Busy. Company coming. Hi, how are you? Too busy. Work is a zoo. Sigh.
We have a cultural bias toward busyness. If I am busy, I am important; my life matters. If I am busy, I can claim my place at the table with the producers. If I am busy, my life work is fulfilling and I feel good about myself.
But what about the other side of that view? When I am busy, I do not see the beauty in the moment. When I am busy, I resent your call and hurry to finish. When I am busy, I don't find the time to visit when you are sick or in pain. When I am busy, I am always off and running to the next thing. When I am busy, I skip my workout and eat fast food from the drive-through.
Everyone has the same amount of time: 24 hours a day. The President. The toddler. The homeless. The incarcerated. The professional. The monk. The laborer. The dying. Those in love. Those who are waiting for important news. Why, then do we see the passage of time in such different terms? For some, time is about waiting; for others, filling it up. For some, too much; for others, not enough.
Our experience of time is a function of both circumstance and perception. Busyness is as much the state of our mind as it is the snapshot of our calendar. Last week we reflected on meditation, on taking a moment to pause before launching the day. This week I am exploring the idea of life as meditation, as being aware of what is happening now and responding in the moment.
I find that the quality of my presence and my value to others is grounded in a fundamental question of space. White space on the dayplanner, clear space in the mind, open space in the heart. Busyness fills all the spaces.
I love getting stuff done. I love checking things off the list. I take pride in being productive. When I am truly honest, however, I can see that the busy me is not always the best me.
I am more available when "Busy" is not the answer to "How are you?" I am a better listener when my mind does not race to the next errand or meeting or task while you share. I am healthier when I take the time for fitness and cooking, even if it means backing off from another project or volunteer role. The quality of my effort suffers when the commitment to quantity comes first.
How do you balance busyness with presence, productivity with reflection, quantity with quality?
Happy New Year, How Are You?
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