You’re always busy.
It’s the one phrase I’ve heard on repeat this year.
In the beginning, it was a badge of pride I wore. Yes, I was busy. I had things to do, people to see and places to be. However, as time passed, I cringed every time someone said those words to me.
You see, in the beginning, I had just started a new venture. It was an exciting time for my circle and I. Great things were going to happen, money was going to be made, and fame was on the horizon. ‘Busy’ at that time was excusable because it wouldn’t be long before we could all relax on the beach without a care on the world. But, oh that changed.
In the end, ‘busy’ became a dirty label. It caused division, miscommunication and resentment. The great things came in bursts, the money trickled in and the fame reached local status. There wouldn’t be any relaxing on the beach for a while. In fact, there were too many cares on our shoulders.
All because of one little word – busy.
Now, more than ever, society champions busy. We like to see what people are doing and how they live their lives even in the most private of moments, and at the most random times of the day. We have those who appear busy and those who are trapped in busy. Some say they are for attention while others have never known anything else. Both extremes are prevalent today and with that ‘busy’ has acquired a bitter taste.
But the truth is that being busy is nothing more than being actively engaged in something, whatever that may be. It could be conversing with someone, reading a book, interacting on social media, planning an event or running a business. It just means that you are fully present with a predetermined or impromptu task. Not so bad right?
There’s no need to flaunt it because being involved in something does not define success, and there’s no need to be enveloped by it because it is not the key to success.
So with that said, can we redefine our interpretation of busy and get back to the original? I think the simple version is better. Don’t you agree?
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Tamara Holder, Baydian Girl
Barbadian | Designer | Style Blogger
Well-written!! I LOVE how you describe “busy.” On my end, me and “busy” actually took the vacation. And it was good for a while…that is until the “rain storm” came and I realized I wasn’t even supposed to be vacationing with “busy” in the first place! Turns out I missed all the warning signs that were posted as landmarks on the way to of the beach. You can’t make but so much time for “busy” before you realize you’re been too busy to see what’s been going on around you. I’m not one to slow down, but I have found a happy-medium with being busy: to give myself a cut off time to just be regular and enjoy what I have already been busy working towards.
I really love this article. People spend so much time on auto pilot. My life has changed because I am getting off of the road to busy.