I couldn’t help but to wonder: Am I addicted to being busy?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n My\u00a0heart was deeply pondering that uncomfortable question. My body was desiring some real rest. And, my mind was longing to actually accomplish some necessary tasks. So, I couldn’t help but to pause and immediately read this article<\/a> when it came across\u00a0my Twitter feed:<\/p>\n I took a break\u00a0from the anxiety about the work and delved right in. Then, I totally calmed down. It was an incredible and interesting read, not something I could skim. In fact, the article actually stirred up some good personal reflection for me. The article contained particular insights that I found to be so striking that\u00a0they lingered with me during the rest of my break (especially whenever I was tempted to feel shame for not being productive.) Here’s a few quotes:<\/p>\n It wasn’t news for me to know that I am an experience junky and that I am over-ambitious. And, I know I have some bad habits. I’ve been aware for a while that more mindfulness and intentionality about how I use my time would benefit me. But the real striking and fascinating, thing I learned from the article is that part of the reason I feel such a pressure to be productive is that I am a well-educated and privileged American. There’s a backwards blessing in being busy mixed into all this.<\/p>\n As a Franciscan Sister, I find that my life really is an awkward dance of service and<\/em> contemplation, of solitude and\u00a0<\/em>community. I have chosen this lifestyle\/God gave me this vocation, because the life really does offer much potential for balance. With balance comes health and happiness.<\/p>\n As a disciple of Jesus, I continue to learn and re-learn that what matters most is not what we\u00a0do<\/em> after all. God doesn’t necessarily call us to be productive, but to be present<\/em>. (I recently came across another brilliant piece of writing that deeply explores this dynamic of our busy lives<\/a>.) The kingdom of God is build through relationships and love, not goals and accomplishments. What matters most is how we\u00a0are<\/em> with each other.<\/p>\n In the end, I\u00a0did have a\u00a0restful and rejuvenating Christmas break, with a good balance of leisure and\u00a0<\/em>work. I’ve been back to teaching for a couple days now and in the classroom with my students I feel lighter and more grounded than when my vacation began. The balance of my break has had healthy impacts. I am so thankful that I was able to fill my time with stronger doses of human connection and celebration, contemplation and rest, as all of it helped me be a better teacher and servant.<\/p>\n Now, the question that I felt challenged\u00a0to confront at the beginning of my Christmas break lingers:\u00a0Why do I allow myself to be so busy? <\/em>I am not sure what the answer is. But, I don’t think I am addicted to being busy after all. My new years resolution is to remain balanced, intentional, to move slow. Then, maybe, I can enjoy the blessings of being busy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A little bit after my Christmas break began a couple weeks ago,\u00a0I realized something was wrong with me. Here I was, entering into days that\u00a0were meant for rest and rejuvenation, and I totally felt stressed out about all I had to do. Sure, it made sense. The end of the year and the holidays are...","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":4781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2178641,698755604],"tags":[30789,1296507,214,189499,4325,34327,15314,30351,5087,8742,21858,5001],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-4716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prayer-and-spirituality","category-simple-living","tag-balance","tag-being-busy","tag-christianity","tag-christmas-break","tag-holidays","tag-new-years-resolutions","tag-rest","tag-service","tag-time","tag-time-management","tag-to-do-list","tag-vacation","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-06-at-4-28-10-pm.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"![\"Why](\"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-06-at-4-28-10-pm.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
The backwards blessings of being busy<\/a><\/blockquote>