The cost of busy-ness

I recently said yes to something that I should have said no to and it was one of those times when I really knew I’d made the wrong decision. Not that I minded doing what I chose to do, but I really did feel that I’d messed with the order of things.

And it got me thinking.

When you’re busy all the time, you never know what the busyness has cost you. On that occasion, I got a few phone calls from people asking me if I could this or that, if I was free on this day, if I could work on a particular project. And I couldn't do them because I was already commited to something else. Whatever. The details are not that important.

But I realised that the things I was saying no to, were costing me far more than it would have been to have said no to the original thing in the first place.

I recently read a wonderful book called ‘In Praise of Slow’ by Carl Honore. Now that is an interesting read. And it talks about how our lives have become so jam packed with stuff that we seldom have the space to slow down and really absorb and experience life.

From his website: http://www.inpraiseofslow.com/book.htm, Carl Honore says the following of his book:

These days, many of us live in fast forward – and pay a heavy price for it. Our work, health and relationships suffer. Over-stimulated, over-scheduled and overwrought, we struggle to relax, to enjoy things properly, to spend time with family and friends.

The Slow movement offers a lifeline. It is not a Luddite plot to abolish all things modern. You don’t have to shun technology, live in the wilderness or do everything at a snail’s pace.

Being “Slow” means living better in the hectic modern world by striking a balance between fast and slow.

So, here’s to slowing down, just for a moment. To catch your breath. And maybe even smell a rose or two…