Subscribe now!
Write a short description about your product/offer. Keep it short, but provide the essential information they need to be able to make sense of what's coming.
A long time ago, I heard a quote that really resonated with me:
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” - Socrates
I think most of us can relate to being busy. There’s so much to do. Between work, chores, errands, taking care of the family, spending time with friends, etc. It can definitely take up some time.
I like the meaning of the quote, in that being busy may not always mean we’re being productive. If we’re busy doing a lot of things that aren’t meaningful or purposeful, we may end up feeling barren inside.
Sure, busyness tends to be common in industrial societies. We hear, “Do more, have more, be more...”
This gets me at times, even though I’m pretty conscious of the trapping of it.
I forget that success and achievements aren’t necessarily equated with just how busy I am. Yes, to be successful does require taking action toward goals, but it does not mean that you have to make yourself crazy with stress in the process.
Years ago, when I was in the process of transitioning jobs, I got on that busy track.
I started becoming obsessive with my goals and spent a lot of time “doing” and not enough time “being” and appreciating. After a while, I had to have a real heart-to-heart with myself. I had to remind myself that my worth is not tied to how much I am getting accomplished.
It’s not tied to how much money I make or even how good I am at what I’m doing career-wise.
I had to remind myself that I cannot live my life tied to some egocentric identity. By that, I mean the “I” that has some insatiable thirst for things. Or the “I” that can get in the way of peaceful living.
I say, “I want this” and “I want that”, but that “I” is not my true identity. It is that “I” of ego that goes after all sorts of things in an attempt to find peace. However, peace doesn’t come from striving. Peace doesn’t come from “busyness”. Peace cannot come from that “I”.
Finally, after a few weeks of automatic “fast-pace” pilot, I stopped and spent some time in solitude. I began to rest and relax completely into just being. I began to let everything just be and find joy in the simplicity of life.
I decided to use some stress management techniques and get quiet with myself.
Turning everything off, I just sat quietly. I meditated some. Offered gratitude for life, letting stillness envelop me and remind me of life’s bigger picture.
In meditation, I let go of the many thoughts that run rampant in my mind. I connected with infinite goodness and the love of my higher power. It is there that I can loose the shackles of anxiety, sadness, fear, and so on.
Stress management and worthiness affirmation is a practice. Connecting with myself at a deeper level and my higher power is a discipline.
The bigger picture for us may not be pounding the clock to get more hours of work in.
Freedom and peace may not come from “doing” more. However, it can come in the being in presence with stillness within. It can come with making a decision to live a balanced life and regularly check in with yourself to be sure you’re not too busy.
I don’t just mean physical busyness either.
We can be overly mentally busy too. This can keep us from getting still with our real selves and dealing with things we may be unconsciously avoiding. It can distract us and keep us from getting real and raw with ourselves and others.
So, if you’re physically or mentally overly busy, start pausing before you say or do anything. Tell people you’re cutting back on your commitment. Tell your ego to pipe down and stay committed to balance and the power of undoing.
Sometimes life on this planet can get confusing. We may feel pain. It’s part of the journey, but let’s not try to run from this by being super busy or by putting a band-aid on the wounds.
The real, deep part of you just wants to be. It just wants to show up in the world as is and be loved and adored for no reason. It’s like the tree stands bold, swaying in the wind, simply being a tree. It’s expressing itself as beauty and being content in that. We too, are part of consciousness expressing itself.
From here, go deeper into your stillness.
If you believe in a higher power, take time regularly to just bask in that presence. The toughest part about any sort of personal or spiritual growth is actually taking time to “do the work”, even if the work means sitting in silence.
I understand it’s not easy and within a few minutes, you may feel super bored. I’ve been there.
However, if you’ll keep at it, focusing on what’s behind that blackness behind your eyes, you’ll begin getting a sense of a peaceful presence that you’ll appreciate.
You will feel less stressed, less anxious, and you’ll have more to offer others. We can add value to humanity as we are led by balance and pour out from a full cup.
Today, take some time to be with yourself.
Even if it’s just five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening, try it out. Be with love. Breathe slowly, relax your entire body, and bask in the stillness.
Do this every day and see what happens in your life. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash
LATEST
February 4, 2024
February 1, 2024
January 28, 2024
CATEGORIES
wake up to dailymotivation!
Get Motivational Quotes, Affirmations, and insightful content delivered to your inbox every morning!
Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.
Sitting in solitude and observing the mind-sense-body mechanism takes us beyond mind where we meet the real self where a feeling of sernity prevails.A rejuvination takes place within and all around.We feel fragrant and charged with the God particles and much more..
Trying to absorb the message... stillness and inner peace. Thank you
Yes busyness does not equal great productivity it can lead to a lot of unfinished things & ultimately "burnout". More can be achieved by slowing down & breathing.
Wonderful ideas to inventory my Life.I just retired.
Congratulations on your retirement Joanne!
Thanks. Until I get her I am not satisfied
Thanks everyone
I have been practicing guided imagery meditation for years at four A.M. For three-quarters of an hour, and hence meditating on sentences like: "I connect in actions with people who want and believe in economic growth out of ideal cooperation with others", and also reading daily chapters from spiritual books by spiritual leaders such as Deepak Chopra. All this for an hour and a half and from then on every day I feel that I have been reborn from the consciousness of a soul united with God. At the end of the day before going to bed I thank God for both positive and unsuccessful constructive experiences from a place of liberation from the ego and giving a blessing to the souls that were negative in such an experience. From here I feel strengthened and sleep wonderfully peacefully. From this place I came to the practice of defining annual, monthly, weekly and daily goals and this is when I diagnose each type at the end of its timing. For example: I review daily goals at the end of the day and also write news for the next day. Consistency in doing so brings a constructive experience of letting go of the ego when not experiencing success. From here the attitude is internalized that failures are steps on the way to the goal of a vision with joy and happiness. On this basis, I can state with a full smile that the information stated here provides full reinforcement to realize such a life approach with stability and constructive consistency with a lot of wonderful divine love.
Thank you for sharing this Moshe, it sounds like you have found an extremely helpful, structured and personalized routine that both brings you peace and helps you continue to strive for your goals. We appreciate you sharing this with the community, it will surely inspire others to find their own path to peace, joy and happiness, as you say. Wishing you well 🙂