I have often said busy is overrated. Our society glorifies busy. And, in some ways we equate busy to worthiness. We think, I’m so busy doing for others, I must be worthy of love. Worse, is the mindset that we must stay busy to earn love from others or as a way of distracting ourselves to avoid dealing with a difficult situation. Ugh!
Ever notice the dialog when someone asks “How are you?” Automatically we reply, “I’m soooo busy” and we continue to share and compare all the ways we are busy. Another Ugh!
Granted, life can be busy at times, and I am certainly not implying that being busy is bad. There is a natural ebb and flow to life. Sometimes we are in mega action, perhaps working on a project and other times we are hopefully enjoying the fruits of our labor. But, with so many demands made of our precious time, we need to make sure we create space to simply BE! After all, we are human beings and not human doings. We are not robots judged on how much we can get done. We are living, breathing, and loving beings, worthy of living a happy, fulfilled life simply because we exist.
The next time someone asks “How are you?” perhaps we can change the conversation to “What’s new and good?” so we can celebrate and acknowledge the fullness of our lives. I know…wow! Shifting the focus from “I’m so busy” to “My life is so full” moves us from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance.
Why is this important?
Our nervous systems are over taxed and are in a continuous loop of overwhelm. We are constantly being stimulated to be more, do more, and obtain more. Commercials, marketing, social media, and the news are all competing for our attention. And, it’s everywhere we turn making it easy for us to feel like we are not whole unless we are doing more. That “I’ll be happy when” or “All will be okay once such and such happens” mindset creeps in making us think we need to have our s%!t together in order to be happy.
So what are we to do? Here a few tips on staying mindful.
- Be discerning with your time and energy. No. No, thank you. Both are complete sentences.
- Stop “should’ing” on yourself. Are you making choices based on what you think you should be doing or from your true heart and soul desire? Remember, this is YOUR life to be lived according to your rules and not someone else’s shoulds. Try using this filter – if it’s not a definite YES, then it’s a NO.
- Create boundaries and keep them. Eliminate or minimize your time spent with toxic people. Yes, this can be hard at times especially with family, but you can limit the time spent with people who drain your energy. Seek out kindred spirits, and remember to set boundaries, not brick walls.
- Fill up your tank. Keep your self-care on top of the list. Remember, resting and relaxing is doing something.
- Ask for help. I know, this is a big one for me too. I am fiercely independent which serves me well in some areas of my life and hinders me in other areas. Like anything else, creating new habits is like building muscle. It takes consistent action to build those new grooves in your brain.
- Clear out the clutter in your environment. Clean out your closets, drawers, and storage areas. Do a clean sweep of your refrigerator and pantry. Go through your books, cd’s/dvd’s and papers. Donate or pass along anything that you no longer use. Tip: if you haven’t used it in a year or if it has no real sentimental value, it’s time to get rid of it. Organizing your space not only makes it easier to keep things neat, it opens the space for more new and good to flow. You will be amazed how the energy opens up.
Let’s revel in our freedom to choose and create our lives – yes, we are the co-creators of our lives. Let’s acknowledge the abundance of food, water, clothing, shelter and all the things we take for granted. Let’s honor our relationships and our communities. And, most of all let’s celebrate the fullness and richness in our lives.
