If you’re like me, in the back of your head there’s a broken little record player. He was put there years ago when you were born into a fast-paced, technologically-savvy, capitalistic world. He has a single job–repeat, as many times as possible, the words “keep busy.”
If you’re like me, that little record player has left a feeling in your head that doesn’t make any sense. You feel inferior when you talk to people that are in more clubs or on more sports teams than you. You feel guilty when, on a Friday night, you’re at home reading a book. You feel incompetent when, every once in awhile, your mind runs out of juice. Well, if you’re like me, it’s time to ask a few questions:
- Is relaxation bad?
- Is a life superior if a person puts more tasks into it?
- What’s more important–planning things, or having free time for friends?
Some of us, if we’re honest, will answer yes to these questions. Maybe you’re one of those people–you value recognition and accomplishment, and have found that these things bring you peace in life. If so, I wish you the best! But for the rest of us, is “always doing something” really a moral issue of right and wrong, like our mind sometimes treats it? Heck no, Jimmy.
We all have to ask ourselves a question: Do I really value recognition and accomplishment, or is that just that societal voice in the back of my head? We all value different things in life. For example, I don’t believe that the greatness of our lives grows with times we’ve been cited, victories we’ve won, or recognitions we’ve received. It’s increased with the love shown in friendships, the peace found in knowing oneself, and the good brought about in others’ lives. These are my values–your highest values may be different, albeit just as worthy.
The key here is this–we all value different things. You value the things you do for a reason. You have a personality and a mission that fit into the choreography of life in their own specific way. So, take a look at the things you’re spending your time on (including the free time you leave open each day), and see if your schedule matches your real, not-from-a-can-of-advice-that-others-gave-you, built-in values.
And then if something doesn’t matter to you, stop doing it. Live life as you.
7 Comments
Thank you for your post. It is very insightful. It really is important to evaluate those things we do everyday and do those things that matter most to each of us individually.
Timely post, I am struggling with free time right now. I have gotten so good at staying busy, that when I do have free time, I don’t know what to do with it!
The greatness of your life doesn’t grow with the number of clubs you’re in, but that’s certainly easier to measure than how much love you show to others.
I say we make a “love factor” of sorts that lets us measure how loving we are — then we know whether we’re doing better (or worse) than our neighbors. We can then step up the pace as needed.
My love factor is seventeen nine. Yours?
7 and a half :)
This is a great post Britton. I was actually thinking about something similar in my last class today. We never reach a point of sublime happiness. If we reach one goal, we strive for the next as our idea of “happy.”
If your goal is to get a career writing for the newspaper, you will get it, and then desire a job at a bigger newspaper. Our basic concept of happy is faulty since happy isn’t quantifiable.
I realized that I am happy now, and am probably about as happy as I will ever be, and if I can just maintain that I will be stoked.
Loved the post!
I’ve been thinking the same thing, but from an opposite point of view. I WISH i had more free time to just sit down and read a book or talk to my roommates, clean my room which hasn’t been clean since the day I moved in, blog, journal, or just think. It’s hard making time for things besides work and school! Great post!