a case of "the busy(s)"

Whew.  What a busy week so far.  I haven't felt the pressure of feeling "behind" in quite awhile.  This feeling used to be my life.  SO grateful it just pops up every once in awhile.  With a visit of the "busy(s)" over the last few days, it's hard to imagine how I kept refueled under these conditions before.  I didn't, actually.  I became more and more unraveled every day, while exponentially becoming further away from the ability to recover.   

I DO NOT take pride in being busy.  I think I used to.  I think I used to mistakenly believe that if I was busy, I was important or, at least, doing something important.  I have learned the opposite to be true for me.  I have learned that the more I pace myself, slowly steadily and surely, the more present I can be for myself, my work and the others in my life.  In this pace, I experience an abundance of joy and gratitude for so much that only went unnoticed before.  With this pace, there is a natural balance of reflection and action.  When I am busy, reflection gets tossed out the window.  Reflection deepens my experience, my relationships and my creative spirit.

I am SO glad the illusion of busy is coming out.  When I google "being busy", the first four results are "The 'Busy' Trap", "Why Being Busy Can Keep You From Getting Ahead", "Being Busy is Not Productive" and "America's Problem:  We're Addicted to Being Busy".  I am sure if I googled "multi-tasking", similar results and headlines would appear.  Thank GOODness...  The other night my yoga instructor said,  "BE.  Trust that what needs to be done is getting done while you are in this state of being."  

I have a "favorite words" board on pinterest.  When I came across someone's pin, "Stop the glorification of busy" I repinned it (of course!).  More importantly, it also led me to this post by Joshua Becker (his blog is titled "Becoming Minimalist") on "The Underappreciation of Rest in Today's Society".  

I am so glad to hear of others who are intentionally slowing down and living their lives.  It does require a certain discipline.  It requires an ability to stand up to the current of society and choose another route.

I have three appointments back to back today.  This isn't good for me.  It is usually my practice to only have one appointment per day (if at all) but sometimes days like this just need to happen.  My practice today will be to stay present, especially while transitioning from one appointment to another, to refrain from multi-tasking, to trust things are being taken care of as they should be, to breathe...

Maybe I will notice something small and beautiful today (as I did with these leaves that I collected in the midst of the "the busy(s)" on Tuesday.  This is my intention.

Oh! And if you want to know how I've learned to manage the busy(s), I've got a few ideas here.