It’s likely one of today’s most overused words, one that has become such a common response that it’s almost expected. When someone asks me, “How are you doing?” my typical answer is, “I’m good, but BUSY.” Of course! Who’s NOT busy? But what am I actually busy doing?
It was that question that caused me to pause from my you-know-what kind of day to re-evaluate my constant state of activity. And this is what I have concluded:
Busy makes me feel productive and important – “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person.” Some people I know carry the mantra of busy with them wherever they go as if their schedule, occupation, or tasks are more important than everyone else’s. In my corporate life, I was one of those people.
Sometimes I have intentionally kept myself busy to take my mind off of something else. Staying busy can enable you to avoid dealing with what you should probably be dealing with – whether it’s loss, anger, a strained relationship, or a failing marriage. By the way, that thing that I was trying to avoid by staying busy didn’t go away – it just resurfaced at a later time.
Busy is neither healthy nor sustainable. One of the definitions of busy is “full of activity; characterized by much action or motion.” Busy is exhausting. It’s not a healthy lifestyle, so I need to intentionally plan to stop throughout my day for a break in the action. My story “Rest in Pieces” is my new approach and will, hopefully, enable rest (physically, mentally, and spiritually) to become my new way of life.
Busy is as much a state of mind as it is a state of activity. When I tell myself I’m busy, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. I know several people whose schedules and occupations are more demanding than mine, yet they seem to have found a balance with space in their lives for what’s most important. They are also peace-filled people.
And so I’m done with busy!
Next time when you ask me how I’m doing, you will hear this: “My life is full, and I am truly blessed.”
How about you?
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 NIV)