Is ‘Busy’ the new ‘Fine’?

I suppose many of us thought that the computer age would give us more leisure time.

It’s quicker to answer emails than write and post physical letters, almost all of our business and personal activities are on one device, and now we can even take our work with us on our smart phones.

We did gain more time, unfortunately just we filled it, then it flooded over.

Now, not only can people write a letter, they can email, PM people on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, call us on the phone, leave messages all over social media, leave comments on blogs.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not bemoaning direct contact with fans of my music, I love that. I am one of the lucky people in this world who gets to earn a living doing what they love, and I know I can only do that because of you. But not everyone is that lucky, and for them the boundary between home and work is becoming more and more blurred. Why not answer those work emails while your sitting on the sofa with your partner? Check that website etc? It’s not a good way to live.

I’ve seen some of my friends’ lives become so busy the word is almost a mantra that they are proud of. In the past when I asked how people were the answer might have Abbot_of_Watkungtaphao_in_Tat_Hong_Waterfallbeen a rather insipid “fine”, but now more and more the answer is a very telling “busy”.

Is that what we want?

What does that mean?

Are we defining the meaningfulness of our lives by how busy we are?

And as our busy-ness becomes more overwhelming what is the first thing to go? The things that do us good – exercise, our spiritual practices, our social life.

It’s not a healthy way to be.

5 minutes. That’s all it takes to sit down, turn off the computer and the smart phone, light some incense, make yourself comfortable, and spend just 5 minutes in meditation.

Focus on your breath.

Calm your thoughts.

Just 5 minutes.

Anyone can spare 5 minutes.

I bet most of us spend more than 5 minutes on Facebook each day. Instead, let’s look after ourselves. Cut off from the electronics. Make some non-busy time in our lives.

Shall we ban the word ‘busy’ as a throw away description of our lives and instead find a more meaningful response?

What could that be?

3 responses to “Is ‘Busy’ the new ‘Fine’?”

  1. I think I am unlike most….I live in a small cabin in the woods with my 2 dogs, 8 cats(mostly rescues or foster cats) and 20 chickens. I live without running water or a regular source of electricity
    I have a gas generator to run my washing machine and to charge my laptop to watch movies…and enough solar power to kee this bloody iphone charged
    A large part of me wants to just get rid of the thing….my reasons not to: my two children are living 2,000km and 6,000km away from me and I am involved with animal rescue and Facebook and instant communication is a vital tool in this
    I hate the fact that I have been up for over an hour….managed to have a coffee and have spent that entire time checking Facebook and email. I used to read over breakfast….a paper book(I have at least a thousand of those…yet this phone is in my hand)
    I make excuses that I need to check the weather…instead of relying on my own senses….I need to know this or that so I spend time looking that up….argh
    I decide that I will put the phone away for a bit…then decide that I want to listen I music as I do the dishes and where is all my music located? And the cycle starts again!
    I actively seek a life that is not “busy”; that is apart from the “norm” yet here I am struggling to find the self discipline to put this phone down and walk away from it….. For at least a day

    PS…. I took a 6hr ferry boat ride and then a 3 day drive and then a 4 hour flight and then a three day train ride and then a three day drive and then the ferry boat again this past May….listening to you(from Newfoundland to Alberta, Canada 🙂 )

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