So many people live such busy lives. Existing commitments often mean we can’t do things that free the mind and rest the heart but hold a lower priority. Relationships come to depend on quick texts — like packaged snacks, low on nourishment and barely keeping the friendship alive. We treat sleep the way we’ve treated the oceans for centuries, as a mysterious realm from which we steal whatever suits our immediate goals without thought of the overall wellbeing of ourselves and others.
Ironically, there’s often a tinge of pride in saying no to something we’d like to do because we’re just too busy. It’s as if a full schedule demonstrates the importance of our place in the world. But there’s also regret that all we must do keeps us from what we really want.
Why have we become a society of ants driven to spend our lives on busyness? An easy, obvious answer is that it suits our economic system. America has been a powerhouse for many decades because its people are so productive, meaning we work so damn long and hard. If we don’t work so hard at our jobs we do it with our families, pets, organizations, etc. It all has a monetary value, even if it doesn’t put money in our pocket. Taking on all we can handle and then some is the American way of life.
This doesn’t really benefit us as individuals. You could say it benefits the whole society, but mostly it benefits the rich and powerful. In a terrible irony, big corporations offer workers meditation and yoga classes so they can work better. Even the activities originally meant to liberate us have been turned into means of keeping us productive members of the ant farm.
We collude in our own exploitation. Being constantly busy is a common defense against all the suffering we’d feel if we didn’t have to get on with our work. While this certainly isn’t dukkha-proof, like a good narcotic it makes the pain seem distant and muffled. I’ve had so many students tell me they yearn to give themselves time for their practice – once they get a promotion, or enough savings, or the kids grow up, or… they finish everything they’re working on. That never seems to happen, though.
We don’t need to give up our jobs, or let the kids fend for themselves. There’s time to meditate or even simply sit and gaze out a window if we can just stop looking at what needs to be done next and recognize the supreme power of this moment. In this moment, we have the choice to stop. Just stop and let our senses fill with the truth of being right here, now. Feel the body keep itself alive right now by drawing this breath in and pushing it out.
Every time we stop for one breath or more, it gets easier to stop the next time. This ability to break the relentless focus on “what we have to do” is a gift to ourselves. It enables us to know and take care of our genuine needs.
It means the next time we might otherwise reflexively say yes to a new commitment, we’ll have the ability to give it a second thought. Will it really serve us well in the long run or will it become just another way to be too busy? It is only in the moments when we stop and look inward that we can have real freedom of choice. And no, it won’t make us forget what we were doing.