Busy = Successful. Hip. Cool.
Bullsh*t.
Busy = Burned out. Tired. Out of balance.
At least that is how it is in my book. I know that it can be almost addicting to fill my every minute of my day with being what I consider "productive." But the more I fall in love with life and the sole experience of its beauty, the less attractive being "busy" for the sake of being busy is.
Recently I have made it my full-time job to observe my emotions and where energy wants to flow in my life. And with that I literally mean "FULL-TIME" -- the only thing I am ever busy with. Because it's gotten so clear -- when I focus on solving problems, details, stories, little dramas, the more of them keep showing up. And then my life is busy with fixing problems -- how boring is that?!
Now I'm a total artist at perfectionism, meaning I like for things to work, to be beautiful and harmonious -- if possible at all times. You're probably smiling. Because we both know that doing this human life thing often looks rather like the opposite. And the full spectrum of the human experience will give us the ugly, the chaotic, the broken and damaged along with the smooth flow, beauty and harmony. So what do we do then when the former pops up? Run away? Believe me, I tried.... And they followed me. Every. Single. Time. (And I've lived in five different countries, so don't waste your time.)
So what do I do when the unpleasant comes up? I stop.
I stop in my tracks. I drop what I am doing. I completely interrupt the pattern.
Now you're probably thinking, "that's a bit impractical. I've got sh*t to do. I have children to feed, a job to go to, rent to pay..."
I know, right? I get it. What happens when I stop though? And with stopping I don't mean running away. I don't mean neglecting responsibilities. I mean finding time to connect with my soul. Finding time to hang out with source energy so I can ask it how it wants me to show up. To give me the patience, the strength, the calmness to show up in these challenging situations. And yes, ideally that means taking a day or however long it takes to calm down, to spend time in nature, to nurture myself. But with all that's currently going on in my life it often means only a moment connecting with the nature outside my window, a moment laying under the moon, a moment of meditating and lighting a candle, some time to journal and tune in with what is REAL. But ultimately it involves taking a moment to be with myself and to be honest with the emotions that are arising.
I've discovered that sometimes that's all it takes to invite flow back into my life again. It doesn't mean the problems dissolve into thin air the moment I begin to tune in. But usually I feel calmer, more connected to my breath, more equipped with tools.
So now when I feel busy in the sense of maxed out and overwhelmed, an alarm sound goes off in my head because I know that something is off track. I am attached to details and chasing a future happiness instead of enjoying what is right in front of me.
How would your life look if all you were busy with was showing up fully in your life? As centered, loving and present as you can be? And trusting that this single effort will present you with the tools, strength, wisdom and opportunity to tackle ALL other things that fill up your life?
Try it!
Warning: You might end up on a tropical island doing your dream job and meeting the love of your life ;)