Someone once said “My calendar is so packed with things to do that if something goes wrong today, I cannot worry about it at least for the next five days because of one simple reason “NO TIME”. Sounds familiar??? Well, let’s face it; we live in a world full of busy people, it’s hard to believe that there was a time in human history when only few people were considered busy people, because of their position and responsibilities. The last century has changed our pace of life so much that we not only expect to do things faster, but have become busier than ever before.
Busyness is no longer the problem of the chosen few or the so called leaders, but it has almost become a requirement for everybody to survive in our struggle for existence. It’s funny how in a family of four we now have four different calendars filled with personal appointments and things to do for each person in the family. While the parents’ calendars are filled with activities and things to do, Kids’ calendars are filled with homework, music class, soccer practice or basketball match, Awana, sleepovers and how can I not mention the ever increasing list of birthday parties to attend. Too many things to do and too less time at our disposal!
Busyness is no longer the problem of the chosen few or the so called leaders, but it has almost become a requirement for everybody to survive in our struggle for existence.
The irony is that we have thousands of books on time management, organizers to help us plan our schedules, and electronic gadgets that assist us with sweet sounds and prompt reminders, yet we probably may be the most disorganized generation of the human history. Being busy may not be bad in itself, but it is definitely dangerous to buy the idea that busyness is the mark of a successful person. Busyness is a choice, and no matter how much we blame it on the changing society, I think we need to admit that the deeper problem with our disorganization is our lack of priorities and discipline.
I think we need to admit that the deeper problem with our disorganization is our lack of priorities and discipline.
Eric Hoffer says “The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is on the contrary born of a vague fear that we are wasting our life. When we do not do the one thing we ought to do, we have no time for anything else- we are the busiest people in the world”. Pastor Chuck Swindoll says “Busyness rapes relationships. It substitutes shallow frenzy for deep friendship. It feeds the ego but starves the inner man. It fills a calendar but fractures a family. It cultivates a program that plows under priorities.”
In the words of Jesus “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41, 42). I think what Jesus is saying is pretty clear, we cannot do everything in life, we need to make choices and have priorities that will help us live a fulfilled life instead of just filling our lives with things and activities. May be we are spreading our lives too thin, too far and too shallow. I love this warning given by Fred Mitchell “Beware of the barrenness of a busy life”.
Kin Hubbard makes this insightful observation “A bee is never as busy as it seems; it’s just that it can’t buzz any slower”. I don’t know if busyness is a requirement for all bees or if they just seem busy. But as human beings we have a choice to decide the pace of our life, unlike the bees that cannot buzz any slower, we are created with the ability to choose our pace of life. Can you buzz any slower in life?
“A bee is never as busy as it seems; it’s just that it can’t buzz any slower”- Kin Hubbard
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
