As a cultural phenomenon, being busy means doing important things without having time for fun or wasting time.
Being busy is a syndrome we experience as a global collective.
According to the thesaurus, “Busy means to be preoccupied with something at that moment.” That’s it. It is not a state of living.
This phenomenon comes from wanting to avoid being called lazy at all costs. We are afraid that if we accept every coffee date or every dinner invitation from family and friends, people might assume we have nothing important to do.
Or, even worse, we choose to enjoy our lives with them, deliberately prioritizing the needs of those we love and want to be around.
What a waste of time and energy. Happiness is a break from the stress of work and the mundane. Who would dare?
So, we move away from it by asserting our importance over others. This might not always be a conscious effort. Society teaches us young that those who work hard succeed. They forget to teach us that hard work also includes discipline, which means keeping your priorities in order.
When we tell a loved one or a friend we are too busy to get together, we tell them they are unimportant to us. Some other activity is replacing them. Those who can’t find the time don’t want to make the time.
Have you not gotten up late on a lazy Sunday morning and just lounged around? Have you skipped doing your laundry to take a break? Think. Priorities.
None of us is busy.
We want to be important. We want to matter. How about we start mattering by showing up? By saying, yeah, let’s get together. I would love to. I am not too busy for you.
That would make us matter in the right places.
To Whom It May Concern 