(From Etsy seller Amy Rubin Flett)
This week, if I'm totally honest, I have done very little of any value. At all. I've watched a lot of daytime TV, and I am now a bit of an expert on renovating houses and finding huge, unaffordable homes in the countryside, but that's about it. However, on the occasions that I have left the house, I seem to have thought about how often we can rush through life, and don't really appreciate everything around us. So, as such, that is what I'm going to write about.
For example, driving into town, I was turning right at a roundabout. Some guy decided that the (correct) lane that he was in just wasn't moving fast enough for his liking. There were about three cars in front of him. Only three. So, instead, he decided it would be a good idea to cut into my lane, then try and go straight across the roundabout, into a non-existent lane, and cut in front of those three cars he would have had to have waited for. I found this both rude, and kind of dangerous; but it got me thinking about how much people rush around in their daily lives.
When we get down to "real life", with work and university assignments and responsibilities, it can be easy to get swept up, going from one task to another, as if checking it off a routine list of things to do as quickly as possible. At times, it feels like there is just too much to get done in one day, and we end up rushing around, getting stressed, and generally not enjoying ourselves.
I will admit that on some weeks, there might be an insane amount to do. Maybe it's deadline week, or exam period, or you took on extra overtime. In these extra busy times, it is important to look forward and schedule in some time to just chill out, and have some "me" time, instead of just rushing on to the next thing.
Sometimes it's good to take some time out and do nothing. It has been nice to not have anything much to think about for a while. However, it can boring, and I am definitely looking forward to my next chapter of going to South Africa. There is a line between resting, and laziness and passivity, which I am definitely guilty of crossing at times.
When it comes to busy-ness, it is important to gain some perspective. Whatever it is that you're doing, will it matter in a month, a year, five years time? If it's work for a degree, or some other qualification, I can hear you saying "well, yes; this is going to affect my future career". You're probably right; if you have a deadline, it's pretty difficult to avoid it. It won't go away by itself, after all. Yes, employment of some form is generally necessary, in order to earn a living. Some things just aren't easy to drop.
However, could that washing wait until tomorrow? Would it really matter if you didn't do the dusting this week? Yes, okay, these things will have to be done eventually, but instead of just going from one to the other on a check-list, why not make some time for the things that really matter - people. Friends and family. Take some time to appreciate those you've got around you, and the environment you're in. My daytime television habit has led me to Supernanny this week; I was faced with the fact that children (and adults, in my opinion) value your time a lot more than your money or material things. People aren't going to remember you for how much washing you've done, but for the time they've spent with you.
This is definitely something I have to work on. I often find myself spending time on facebook or watching TV, when I could be spending time with the people around me. Or, when I am busy, I forget to just stop and take a moment to chill out, and appreciate the beauty in the things around me. Therefore, resolution one is to stop wasting time on things that don't really matter; resolution two is to take more photos, to picture the moments I appreciate.
If you're still following my train of thought, why not consider how you're spending your time. Take some time for you, and for others around you. After all, life is more that just a check-list.
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