Too Busy to Be

Everyone has busy periods when they feel they haven’t time for anything much bar getting the essentials done. But is your life a constant round of juggling deadlines and demands with no space for reflection, peace and just “be-ing”? Or maybe you know someone whose diary is always full and who seems never to stand still (never mind sit down)? Is any of this familiar? Have you ever wondered why some lives (yours, maybe) are like this?

Just as we all need sleep, we also all need a little quiet time to reflect or just to be empty of thought and at ease. It’s restful, helps you to focus on what’s really important and allows you time to check your perspective and maybe to readjust it from time to time. But quiet time is often daunting, particularly for very busy people; so daunting that they cannot conceive of the possibility, never mind the idea that it might be useful. Perhaps part of the reason is that, when you’re quiet, unbidden thoughts and feelings can find their way to the surface. Whether you welcome them or want to chase them out depends on your viewpoint.

Chronically busy people tend to choose the latter, perhaps, because these unbidden notions have a habit of questioning the status quo. The little whisper from deep within says things like, “You’re going in the wrong direction” or even, “ You’re mistreating that person”. Busy-ness drowns out this innate wisdom very effectively. Quietude gives it a chance to be heard and it may well be gently but insistently demanding change (which is, of course, a challenge to most of us). This is one of the benefits of counselling – you have a space all your own each week where you are encouraged to reflect and to be quiet and still in order that your inner voice may be heard.

Choosing not to hear the message means we don’t have to go through the bother of rearranging bits of our lives. But it also means we miss opportunities: we miss insights. We miss inspiration. We miss clarity. We miss truth. Wouldn’t you like some of that?