Christmas
I got to thinking... that alone is a recipe for disaster. Everyone asks about being busy "this time of year." I wonder is daylight just shorter or is it the very hours of the day? What is so attractive about being busy?
Since hardly anyone knows this blog exists it's safe for me to confess: I'm NOT busy. And worse than that: I don't intend to be. Sure, there are times when I have multiple projects due and several people would like some of my time. But I've not found any way to do more than I can do. And simply because I won't accomplish much of what I think I should - or more accurately what others would like me to - doesn't mean I'm busy. I fall short of my expectations and others, of course, but I don't think that being "busy" will extricate me from the emotional quagmire that creates.
Busy can mean "full of activity" or "engaged in action," which I am - much of the time. What busy does not mean is that I am important. Neither does it mean that the choices I make - between competing demands on my time - are justified. And those two needs, importance and justification, I'm pretty sure, are what's behind all this need to feel and be known as busy.
Since hardly anyone knows this blog exists it's safe for me to confess: I'm NOT busy. And worse than that: I don't intend to be. Sure, there are times when I have multiple projects due and several people would like some of my time. But I've not found any way to do more than I can do. And simply because I won't accomplish much of what I think I should - or more accurately what others would like me to - doesn't mean I'm busy. I fall short of my expectations and others, of course, but I don't think that being "busy" will extricate me from the emotional quagmire that creates.
Busy can mean "full of activity" or "engaged in action," which I am - much of the time. What busy does not mean is that I am important. Neither does it mean that the choices I make - between competing demands on my time - are justified. And those two needs, importance and justification, I'm pretty sure, are what's behind all this need to feel and be known as busy.
posted by Daniel Morse at 7:33 AM
3 Comments:
I'd agree and would say I am decidedly not busy this week. I need to write a sermon. I went shopping this morning for the youth group and that was fun. Just not busy and don't feel like being busy. I will admit that I don't want anyone in the office ot realize I'm not busy....they might find something for me to do and I'm happy doing what I'm doing which isn't too terribly much.
Sometimes I have a lot to do but that never makes me important. It may reflect my poor time management skills, however!
and just to be serious (after I had a good laugh at the vision of you "hiding" in the office) a second, what if it isn't "poor" time managment skills that lead us to frentic feelings? What if the feelings are generated by the discomfort of wondering how others will grade our choices?
Oh, good question. Isn't it usually the pressure of living into expectations - both our own and those placed upon us? I like to go to the coffee shop to work and write my sermons, but I rarely go without worrying that someone (esp. someone in the office) might think I'm being lazy or skirting my responsibilities in the office.
On another note, I added the link to your blog on my blog so now you HAVE to write often! Pressure and other's expectations to keep you blogging...how is that for messed up?! Works on me!
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