Living with Purpose: Are You Too Busy?

“Living with Purpose: Are You Too Busy?” – Guest Post by Carrie Shiomos

Recently, Kem forwarded an article to me called The Disease of Being Busy by Omid Safi.  It’s a very thought-provoking article in which the author describes our modern lifestyle of busyness and distractions as a disease.   We run around accomplishing so many things, chasing after illusive dreams, and things, and progress…..but we so easily lose touch with what is most important in life.  We are BUSY!  I am asking myself a simple question, and I encourage you to ask yourself as well – In your quest of living with purpose, are you too busy?

Of course, being busy isn’t a bad thing.  We are all busy …we have jobs, we are pursuing careers or businesses, we have kids, activities with our kids or for ourselves, groups we belong to, church or other commitments.  These things are all good, and they keep us busy.  But the real question is  – are we too busy?  I guess to answer that question, we have to ask another questions….What are we too busy for?

I have several times in this past year had to make myself slow down and take a few steps back….even from work commitments when I had clients counting on me.   I was burned out and my family was not getting the best from me, my health was suffering, and I was not giving myself my best.  Yes, the work still needed to be done….and it got done.  I just needed to learn to pace myself and put everything in it’s place.  Stepping back from the busyness and too fast pace made such a huge difference for me….and it actually made me more productive as I was able to think clearly coming from a place of rest and refreshment.  Just a day or two of stepping away from everything except what is more important changed my attitude and outlook in the long run.  It’s amazing what you notice you have been neglecting when you take the time to really look at how you’re running your life.  The things I was too busy for were the things that are most important to me!

I am in the middle of reading Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.  The subtitle is “an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson.”  Man, is this book g ood!  The author reconnects with his dear and trusted college professor after almost 20 years, when the author is at a point in his life where he has given up on his dreams, basically sold out, and is running himself ragged in a life of busyness but with no fulfillment or real connection in his life.  What he learns from his dying professor is what is of most value in life.  Living with purpose is a big theme in this book, and I can’t recommend it highly enough!

We talk a lot about success and finding your path on this blog.  In doing so, we want to find fulfillment and connection – to ourselves, to our fellow humans, and to our Creator.  If we come to a point where we are not feeling that fulfillment and connection in some way, it is time to take a few steps back and reevaluate.  It doesn’t mean quitting our jobs (necessarily) or anything drastic.  It means checking in with ourselves and seeing the choices we are making – and making a better game plan so we can be living with purpose and not suffering from the disease of being busy.

In this holiday season, it is all to easy to get taken down by all the busyness and stress we place on ourselves and that society places on us.  Let’s not let it!  Make a choice to see the beauty in the simple things, to fully love  and embrace those dear ones in our lives – imperfections and all!  Let’s make space in our hearts for connection with our fellow human beings and, most importantly, with our Creator.  This is living with purpose.  Through this, I believe we will all find much more joy and peace in our lives.