Juggling

Greetings all,

I hope you've had a good week.  Long weekends always throw me off as I have a 7 day schedule.  Basically I am scheduled every day of the week.  This week took that phenomena and really took it to the limit.

One of the biggest shifts in my life from my unspent youth (in my case that is the correct word choice) is that I don't get bored.  Growing up and into my twenties I was bored a good portion of the time.  I had a lot more free time, but I also didn't cultivate too many interests.  Now that trend is reversed I have next to no free time and tons of interests.  Apart from my metaphysical pursuits I also have many artistic avenues I like to explore.

This has led to the ultimate in juggling acts.  Currently I am teaching tai chi twice a week, working a job on the weekends, seeing clients, making pottery, learning about leather working, and preparing a group teleconference for the end of the month.  I also have 3 speaking events coming up in the next month.  I stay busy.  Sometimes I think I might be too busy.  However the bright side is I am not bored and my interest is always piqued with some project.

Nobody can sustain all of these avenues of interests without having to set some on the back burners for a time to allow others to take center stage.  This is what I'm learning,  pacing is everything.  Just because I have an interest or excitement about a topic or project doesn't mean I have to charge off and add it to the mix right this second.  Journals, sketchbooks and notebooks are my friends because they allow me to get an idea down before it evaporates so that I can explore it when other activities die down.  My next trick will be to add in some down time and fun time.  I look around at how much people accomplish and am amazed that they can do it all and not fall over.  All of you with kids out there that still manage to pursue a hobby or past time I am in deep admiration.

So why am I talking about this?  Well it comes to my mind that all of us need a bit more breathing space.  Society has been shouting the dogma of productivity and overachievement for decades now.  It's like being a rower on an old barge and the drummer has been slowly increasing the tempo until our arms can barely keep up.  With our technology we are expected to be available and productive 24 hours a day.  In order to combat this I have been putting my phone on air plane mode at night when I am done with people for the day.  It doesn't come back on until I've done my self care the following morning.  This seems to be the only way I can reign in my time for myself.

What about you?  Are you always on the move?  Do you ever slow down and have a space for nothing?  Do you allow others to guilt you into giving up free time for more activity? Do you buy into the myth of 100% efficiency and productivity?  What would happen if you allowed yourself to be less productive and rested a bit more?  Could you allow yourself the time to just be without filling up your schedule?  Try it out schedule some absolute free time in your week.  Don't fill it just let yourself enjoy the respite.  See how that feels.

Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle