I’m too busy. You’re too busy. We are all too busy! I spent the last month doing my own Gallup poll, and when I asked people “How are you?” I listened for the most common response. One word won by a majority: “busy.” I heard about how late you’ve been working. I heard about how many activities your kids are involved in. I heard about the trips you have been on for work and for fun. I heard about the boards you serve on, and I heard you explain how your life feels out of control.

You do realize that these are choices you’ve made, right? Every single day, you can wake up and choose to let the world control you, or you can choose to make positive decisions. Plan your schedule wisely and prioritize health, balance and a calmer mindset.

Have you ever really dug into the meaning of the word “busy”? In Chinese, the word consists of two syllables, one meaning heart and the other death.

The busier we become, the more energy flows to the head and away from the heart.

The busier we become, the more we tend to distance ourselves from others and their emotions.

The busier we become, the more selfish we are toward others. We get lost in the chaos and only talk about our needs, our lives and ourselves. You see, even when you respond graciously and ask, “And how are you?” I notice that your phone is still out and buzzing. I notice that you are looking around at other people, or checking the door to see whom you might run into. I notice you checking your watch, and if I talk slowly, I notice your attempt to speed up our conversation. How do I notice these things? Because I used to rely on those same tricks, and I still fall into the habit of them from time to time.

And sadly, our addiction to busyness keeps us from ever asking why. The less we look into our hearts and reflect, the more we remove ourselves from our authentic purpose.

How does your busyness communicate to others what you value? Are your values in alignment with where you put your time, energy, money and emotions?

(Taken from Journey in the Present)