Photo by Andy Beales on Unsplash
Why do most people sprint through life? We are constantly racing from one activity to the next and barely take a breath of air. The promise of technology was more leisure time; instead we have higher expectations and less patience when we have to wait. Often we look to future events that we want to be over and pray for time to pass quickly. We over-schedule, overcommit, and try so hard to fit in one more thing before we have to quit. Many of our activities are positive and worthwhile, but the intense pressure we place on ourselves is unhealthy or unproductive. Not to mention the fact that we miss the moment in our efforts to make the finish line. As the old expression, “stop to smell the roses” says, we need to stop our constant busyness.
Does society cause us to live a frenzied life or does it have more to do with our personality type? The answer is probably both since busyness is reinforced by society and may also fit very well with our persona. We may choose to stay busy to avoid or distract from a bad relationship or negative emotions. Or maybe our busyness gives us a sense of purpose and self-worth that we can only get from doing not just being. In some situations, busyness is unavoidable given the circumstances of life or lifestyle choices. Regardless of the reasons, rushing through life prevents us from experiencing the joy of today. We may not take the time to celebrate our successes because we’ve moved on to the next task or goal on the list. Life is a journey and an adventure, but sprinting through it limits our ability to appreciate what we have and what we’ve accomplished.
With Thanksgiving approaching, we can all benefit from reflecting on our lives and identifying what we are grateful for. We have all been blessed in many different ways either through our families, friends, work or church family. It could be we’re grateful for our health, our pets, God, or our freedom just to name a few. What are you thankful for or, maybe more importantly, who are you thankful for? Being still long enough to communicate your gratitude to another person can be very positive. Work on carving out time to connect with people and not always be task-driven, but instead people-driven. Setting aside time to meditate, pray, and/or truly listen to a loved one can make a difference. Lastly, share your time, talents and treasures with others in an effort to see beyond your own importance. Generosity breeds goodness.
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