Hmm, where do I begin? (I think to myself, as the mind races around to what’s next on this long list of things I “have” to do.) I confess to finding it a challenge to live in the now. I’m an active person — a doer – and often feeling like the white rabbit in the well known children’s classic, Alice in Wonderland. Always rushing off for a “very important date”.
What’s the rush anyway?
After checking off one item on the list, there most certainly always is another, and another. There’s repeatedly more to do if I allow myself to be caught up in the doing. It never ends. Case in point…when I bought my first house this year in March. Many thoughts and worries surfaced — and the main one was “if and when this gets taken care of, then I’ll be happy”. This went on and on all Spring and Summer long. I’m sure some of you can relate. Why wait on yet another thing before I allow myself to be happy? Why not be happy now? It’s now August, and I’ve finally resigned myself to the fact that if there really is nothing left to do, it’s only because I’ve joined the land of the non-living.
Does busy make us feel better?
Up until now…up until my body couldn’t move anymore and I found myself making mistakes, double booking, sometimes triple booking myself, I finally understood that “busy” is not necessarily better. It took working a full-time 9-5 job, running two small groups opposite weeks of each other for three months, starting up a new Toastmaster’s Club, playing on two baseball teams, doing one on one coaching, putting on a Summer Health & Wellness Retreat as well as playing several active roles at the local Centre for Spiritual Living that I realized this ‘doing’ business was complete MADNESS. I had this impression that being busy equated to being important (so “not busy=not important”). I lost touch with myself.
The seed won’t bloom if…
Now, its great to have plans and act on them, but what I’ve come to learn has been a valuable lesson to me. One must ‘pace’ oneself. I have to give myself the right conditions to grow, and at the right ‘pace’ in order to become truly effective in life. We can’t do this if we’re depleted. We need the proper nutrients and conditions that will allow us to grow to the best of our abilities. The seed won’t bloom into a beautiful flower if you give it too much water to fast, or too much sun. It needs just the right amount. This can be used as a great lesson for us all.
Give yourself a break. There’s no shame in taking it slow. Write in your schedule today under your to do’s the following phrase; “nothing to do” and be okay with that! 😀