I think if we took a survey and asked, "what is the #1 response you get when you ask someone in passing, how are you", the answer would be "BUSY!" You almost don't even have to say the words, just grin or roll your eyes and the other person smiles knowingly with a 'me too' look in their eyes.
Why are we all so busy? We each have 24 hours in a day, but we have NO time! What is that really about? Worse, we are teaching our children this same insanity; to squeeze more and more into the day. You don't want to miss out on this or that. I for one, run from errand to errand and squeeze too much into not enough time before my kids get home from school. Then I begin to run from one activity to another until I collapse in bed each night. Enjoying the preparation of dinner is a distant memory as is a leisurely meal around the kitchen table with an enjoyable conversation of 'how was your day'.
While on vacation I was able to step back, drop my jaw and think, 'Oh My! What are my values and why am I doing this to myself?' I am running my life as if it is a sprint when in fact it is a marathon. At this pace, I will quickly run out of steam. More importantly, I am going through life without the time or awareness to smell the flowers, reflect on what's of value to me or teach my children the importance of just being, stillness and reflection. So what are we all really running from?
Tell us your story. How hectic or serene is your daily schedule? If you could change or improve one thing about your life in terms of how you schedule your time, what would it be?