Articles

by Ada Porat

“I'm so busy! I just don't have the time.”  That seems to be what I hear from everyone, myself included. We are all so busy... running around non-stop with more things to do than we could ever get to... We spend all our waking hours working on our “To Do” list without finding time for things that would nurture us best.

I speak with a lot of people daily, and “not having enough time” is such a constant refrain that I’ve had to ask myself -- why are we all so busy?

It may be because we are caught up in a society of go, be, do. We are so busy going places, being involved, doing things… always running.  We seem to be locked in a race against time, yet we are the very ones who create all the reasons to run around and then feel stressed!

The bottom line is that we always have a choice.  We made the choices that got us over-committed in the first place, and we have the power to change that also.

One of the best tools for sorting through our over-stuffed commitments is honest evaluation.  Before accepting or scheduling that next activity, how about asking yourself these two questions, and answering them as honestly as you can:

1.  What will this activity give me that I don’t have now?

You say you need that second job to pay your bills? Perhaps stretching yourself so far is an indication that the 72” inch TV is not really a life necessity, or wearing the latest fashion is not worth sacrificing your health and relationships for…

2.  How will it affect my life emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically if I decline this activity?

At times, the lure of a better lifestyle or of keeping up with others’ expectations can blind us to the very things that we cherish most: our health, relationships with loved ones, those precious years while our children are around.  No amount of riches can restore these to us once they are lost.  Is the price we’re paying truly worth it? Perhaps we would be happier by scaling back some and having more time to spend with family and friends...

In the practice of mindfulness, we are reminded to take each action consciously: to eat consciously, to walk consciously, to do everything from that state of mind. We can cultivate that consciousness by looking at life the way we treat vacation... when on vacation, we savor each minute, even when we just lay back and relax.  In a very real sense, we are merely visiting Planet Earth -- we don't know for how long -- so let’s savor each minute of this visit, taking stock of our lives and finding the time to appreciate the beauty around us.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com

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