You have been created as a human-being, not a human-doing. Your worth is based on everything you are, not on everything you do.
It’s not a new year anymore
It’s so easy to get caught up in the busy rush of everyday life, isn’t it? During the early part of the year, we tend to dive straight into achieving new goals and zoom along, sometimes at a whirlwind pace.
It’s March now… maybe it’s time to slow down a little and admire the sunflower that opened up just for you in your garden.
Achieving so much is great for the ‘doing’ part of our ego — the part that wants to achieve and feel good for it, the part that wants to please others and be commended.
But while you’re busy constantly doing, what’s happening to the ‘being’ part of yourself? Are you giving it any attention?
What am I talking about?
What do I mean by ‘doing’ and ‘being’? We live in such a go-go-go world that we’re always focussed on what’s next on our list of things to do. This is what I refer to as our ‘doing self’. It is purely task orientated.
Our ‘being self’ isn’t focussed on all the doing. ‘Being’ is about resting, loving life, recognising who you are and what you’re like and being okay with that. It is people focussed, not task oriented.
Stop
I’ve long battled with ‘doing’ and ‘being’. Having lived many years with a chronic illness, I’ve had to face the challenge of not physically achieving as much as my brain wants me to. Life lessons have impressed upon me that ‘being’ is far more enriching than ‘doing’.
If you’re anything like me, it’s hard to stop doing and just be, most of the time. You might get bored instantly or get fidgety. It takes practice to master, but once you have, your happiness will increase exponentially.
‘Being’ fits in with ideas about mindfulness. I’ll talk about this topic more in future weeks. Meanwhile, I encourage you to find some time to just sit and think. Maybe put some classical music on, maybe enjoy the sound of silence. Perhaps do it at the beach, or maybe on your couch. Maybe meditate (watching your thoughts drift by). You don’t have to do this practice for a long time, to start with.
I truly believe that being you is more important than being busy. Slow down a little, unique soul, you’ve been working hard on all your doing.
