Look, we all pride ourselves on being busy. I go to USC, everyone brags about how packed their planners are; we practically compare planners and to-do lists for fun. It shows that you're accomplishing something. It shows that you are using your time on something --anything really. It doesn't even matter if it correlates to your future goals. If you get a product out of it, then you’re productive!
So with that, I always complain that I never have enough time in a day. Sometimes 24 hours is just not enough. It seems like I always have more to do than the time I have in the day, or that I want to do more than I possibly can do in the 24 hours that I have been gifted. So it is safe to say, I fall right under the “stay busy” category, and I bask in it.
However, I feel as if there are more times where I purposely keep myself busy on whatever I possibly can around me just for the sake of saying that I am busy.
But to be perfectly candid, there is nothing truly commendable about being busy. I know, I just heard a record scratch in the background when typing that, but it’s kind of true. We compete over the act of being busy with each other, but it’s equally kind of devastating that we can't compete over the smell of the roses that we haven't given ourselves a chance to stop and take in.
Prioritizing the people in your life, along with your work, and your other billion obligations that are totally super duper important (and totally not expendable at all), is really hard. Trust me, I completely understand. But let's not forget that there comes a time when you have to advocate for prioritizing yourself too.
And it's those times when you have to realize that you aren't going to seem as busy to the world around, but taking time to pause isn't anything to frown upon, and you most certainly are not lazy. You're busy with yourself, and that's more than commendable.
I've said it before, and yes, I am absolutely going to say it again, we get caught in this relay race with ourselves and our egos. And we are the ones who are losing.
We juggle whatever is within arm’s length in order to be seen as accomplished, or we use those things as a mask to hide behind, or a safety blanket for security. Or at times, we use being busy as an excuse because it is simply easy to do.
At the end of the day, we all wish to be seen on top, and on top of things, but for what gain? To what end will we choose an overambitious journey to success with our “or-die-trying” attitudes over our own wellbeings.
Where you gain time in certain areas, you will lose in others. So choose wisely where you will spend yours. You have your whole life to be busy, but just for this one moment, would it kill you choose what is actually important at this present moment.
