I’m increasingly finding myself annoyed with our “I’m so busy” culture. It’s not the fact that people are busy, that I understand–it’s wearing “busy” like a badge of honor that I’m reacting to. Why do we do this?
When I’m moving too fast I know I’m more reactive (ask my three teenagers). I don’t make great decisions (or I’m paralyzed to make them at all) and I don’t like the way I feel. My skin just doesn’t fit. I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.
Last week I was at the grocery store and I was moving so fast that the cashier said, “You must be on your lunch hour, are you in a really big hurry?” It really struck me that I was behaving that way. I wasn’t in a hurry at all. I was actually moving so quickly that I was making someone else uncomfortable. This encounter has really stayed with me.
When I slow myself down—I like myself better and I can see things more clearly.
There is always time to take a single breath, or close our eyes even for a second.
When I took this picture today in my studio I was moving frantically. I then shot the same image after I took a breath and steadied myself. These images tell very different stories, don’t they? I’m not saying I’ll never move too quickly, of course I will. However, when I have the awareness I’ll try to slow myself down and see what happens.
I’m hardly a ZEN MASTER. I’m just trying.
Great post!
Lisa hi!
There is a saying that we should “Always give a job to a busy person”, intimating that a ‘Busy person’ is a more reliable choice to get the work done.
Well… Phoeee!
I don’t believe that for one minute. You are quite right to slow yourself down and enjoy the process.
I have always given high regard to the person willing to delegate and ‘Un-busy’ themselves. If a job is with doing it is worth getting someone else to undertake it.
In this new world of “Mindfulness” being the buzz movement, we may all be stopping for a smoko more often.
Cheers.B
Thank you for your comment. I’m really finding that the clarity and sanity that comes from slowing down far outweighs the validation of being sooooo busy or stating how busy I am to others.
Oh, I haven’t heard the term smoko for a long time. It was a ritual I loved when I lived in Auckland. Thank you for the memory.