Henry David Thoreau once said, "It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?"
We are all over-scheduled with our jobs, commitments, children, parents and friends. That seems to be a given in this day and age.
But are we busy making a difference? Are we busy making a living or are we busy making a life?
As Khalil Gibran once said, "Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens."
So much of our happiness is tied to expectations. What we think should be happening. And sometimes we're our own worst enemy. We want that promotion or that new house or that bonus or that degree. And we're so busy trying to get it that we miss out on the things that matter.
Then if we don't get what we want, we're disappointed and it often takes years to understand that not getting it might have been the best thing that ever happened to us. Because it ensured we were on the journey we were meant to be on.
Although we will continue to be busy, we can be busy in the now doing what truly means something to us. Deepak Chopra said, "Life gives you plenty of time to do whatever you want to do if you stay in the present moment." Don't worry about tomorrow or yesterday, just live for today. And focus on things that inspire you. Things that make you smile. Things that make you curious.
With that in mind, as Mary Oliver once said, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"