Journal Power: Busy-ness

It’s a good idea to remind yourself of the big picture on a regular basis. 

I mean, we tend to get all wound up in the details, right? We feel like we’re so busy; no time for anything; always rushing from one thing to the next. 

Truth to tell, the older I get the shorter the days seem to be. I have long lists of things I want to do, but the days rarely slow down enough for me to even think about them. 

One of these evenings, make a list in your journal of what you were busy with all day long. What exactly did you do and how did the time pass between your rising from sleep and your approaching bed time? 

You were busy, right? Especially in retrospect, you can see how pre-occupied you have been. 

The honest, hard-working productivity of your days is a busy-ness that’s to be proud of, for sure. Just taking care of business - and of self and family and community - is more than a full time job. 

Still, we can’t deny the sneaking suspicion that our busy-ness is only part of the picture. The daily triumphs we celebrate all add up to … what, exactly? 

Enter the ever-present power of the big picture; the reason Why; the prime motivator for all our busy activities and intrigues. 

If you find yourself overwhelmed with busy-ness and wondering what it’s all about, try journaling along lines like these: 

1. List what you did today, as described above. 
2. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths, focusing on your midsection. 
3. Open your eyes and begin to write. Let your pen continue uninterrupted for a minute or two.
4. Lift your pen from the page and let your eyes roam around the space where you are. Notice. Notice. Notice.
5. Write a list of things you noticed during the past minute or so.
6. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, focusing on your midsection.
7. Open your eyes and write: Things that are important to me. Describe your most important values and the people, ideas, and dreams you most revere.  

It’s healthy to stay busy and certainly everyday demands keep us hopping. 

But the busy-ness can be wearing, if not downright overwhelming. Control its tyranny by staying in touch with your big picture through journaling.

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