Busyness is no Badge of HONOR

In our times self-worth is guaged in hours of busyness. Busyness is synonymous to industriousness, to being efficient and hard-working. The opposite is of course idleness, lethargy, neglect which is to be avoided at all costs. So far so good. We would all agree to the utility of hard-work, study and perseverance towards any goal. But, when, this obsession with working hard, laborious study, anxiety of meeting deadlines, of being productive gets out of control it has the opposite effect. Being a workaholic does not guarantee good performance or even desired result. It merely means you are putting in extra effort unnecessarily, paradoxically undermining your hard work.

But we are so caught up with this busyness syndrome that it plagues upon our time with our families, our need for 'me-time' which so frequently isn't met, and leisure is so not a priority that its seen as frivolous and worthless. 

This lack of attention, this want of 'free' unhindered time, this non-availability of time to 'unwind' and de-stress and detox from our continual 'hurrying' is creating excessive anxiety and tension among more and more people. It is an age old maxim that we ought to do what makes us happy, and most people whose passions and callings coincide score high on the satisfaction-with-life barometer. Not all of us are lucky to have a job which we are crazy about, most of us settle for what life throws at us and try to make the best of it. 

I have been on both sides of the spectrum - being excessively busy as a full time worker, mother, wife and home maker, and, now, being a semi-retired, stay at home mom with hours to spare. The times when I was busy to the hilt, I felt a zapping energy, a self-congratulating inner voice resonating in me for accomplishing many items on my to-do list on a daily basis. I thought slowing down, not doing anything, relaxing was for losers. And I continued with being the productive and efficient woman somewhat impressed with the concept of 'super woman.'

My retired life is out of sheer choice. The slow pace of my lingering days, the solitude of my morning tea, the quietness in the house, the elongated hours that stretch before me, the decompression of life itself is elixir to me. Perhaps it may drive another person insane, but after a grueling life of work/home balance, days of guilt at leaving a child at home while i worked long hours, having no consolidated time to read, write and enjoy nature, I cherish every passing moment of this pause.

It is this 'golden pause,' this crystallization of pure time, this realization of being here and now, this appreciation of each present breath that all our busyness is trying to accomplish - or so I believe. It might just do us good to let go of our schedules and thrive in just being.

Over exacting our inner resources depletes us emotionally, physically and mentally affecting our creativity and ability to work.