Surrender the Need to Be Busy. You’re Doing Enough.

I was at lunch with a friend and she asked me how I was doing. I went into this litany of projects I'm working on: “I'm helping this non-profit… I'm investing in these companies.” She stopped me and said, “I asked you how you're doing, not what you're doing.” She made me realize how addicted I’ve become to achieving things and being busy. She then took a napkin and wrote this message for me …“Surrender the need to do more and be more. You are enough.” 

This interaction made me ponder why we glorify being busy. Is it because it makes us feel important and needed? Does it give us things to talk about with our friends and colleagues? Does it make us seem more interesting? And, of course, busyness has taken on a whole new level with social media and the instant ability to compare our lives to others.

When I am older and reflect back on my life, am I going to be proud of the endless tasks I checked off my to-do list? Probably not. Instead I see myself thinking about the people I had an impact on. The people I loved, whose lives I made better. And, of course, this will require being present and being engaged for those people. Truly being with them. And doing that today, not “when I finish this one more thing.”

Let’s not glorify being busy. A big part of this is asking yourself, “Do I say yes to things that really matter? To things that are meaningful?” Or do you have a fear of missing out and say yes to every invitation or opportunity that comes your way. It's ok to say no. The idea that you get to choose the projects you’d like to work on and the people you’d like to work with is freeing. 

You can surrender the need to do more. You are enough.

To hear audio versions of my pep talks on topics like this one (and to get access to hundreds of short guided meditations on Meditation Studio), click here!