Wake Up Call
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
“My appointed work is to awaken the divine nature that is within.” – Peace Pilgrim
“Busy” is the response you’ll get from most people when you ask “how are you?” Or the benign “fine.” And do we really want to know since we’re feeling the same? We juggle a lot (too much) – overcommitted, bouncing frantically from one “important” thing to the next on autopilot. All stressed up and several places to go, but going nowhere. Quantity not quality. Urgent trumps important. Surface vs. depth. Our success defined by the number of items checked off a ridiculously long and bottomless “to-do” list and how many activities we can jam into the day.
Chaos can serve as a wake up call. Slow down, detach and quiet the noise to hear yourself and others. We have choices of where we invest our time, talent and attention. Choose carefully and invest wisely. Never let circumstances or people defeat your spirit, dim your light. Wake up and stop hitting the snooze button. These days won’t come again. So turn off cruise control and start driving the car.
Well said. Earlier in the year, I was on complete autopilot and very stressed and unhappy. This was the end result of prior years spent “not being productive enough,” so it’s not like it came from nowhere. I’ve had the chance to slow down, reflect, and really nourish myself, and it’s so much better.
It builds over time and we accept it. We need to say no to the wrong things and a hearty yes to a joyful and blessed life. It’s a shift we need to simply do. Way to go and wake up!
A good post for me to read first thing in the morning – I have to keep reminding myself that crossing things off my “to-do” list isn’t the most important thing because at the moment it’s rather long.
Thanks – enjoy the day!
Thanks for the wake up call. The last few months I realize I’ve focused on how busy I am. Do people really want to hear that? I guess as a teacher I always feel I have to justify how I spend my time. So many people think that June is down time for teachers when nothing can be further from the truth. Now that summer is here I’m looking forward to some down time at the cottage. I’ll probably have to go back in 6 weeks to set up my room. A lot of construction going on over the summer at school and I’ll have to reorganize my room.
Enjoy the summer! Teachers are awesome!