What am I so "busy" doing anyway?

I've made a new addition for my wall.

I'm putting this in a spot I walk by and look at often in my home.  To remind me to slooooooow down.

I've been focusing a lot on my WHY.  Why I do what I do.  What's most important.  How I am using my time.  What is consuming most of my time.  Am I just busy or am I doing what matters most?  And does it all support my underlying why?

What can we eliminate as a family to have less "busy" and more intention?  What things will get us where we want to be?  And what things won't?

In his book, More or Less, Jeff Shinabarger says there has been "a recent cultural shift:  we now determine the significance of a person by how busy they are."

Something I think of often:  If Satan can't make you sin, he'll make you busy.  Either way, he keeps us from fulfilling a purposeful life.

If I were to strip the purpose of life down to the bare bones, I would say the only thing that counts is how we treat other people.  How we make other people feel.  What kind of real, authentic relationships we created.  How approachable we are.  How we LOVE other people.  How we love ourselves.  What we give back to other people (time, attention, love).

Bob Goff

Am I available?  Am I accessible?  Am I present?  Or am I too busy doing too many other things (even if those things are seemingly important)?

For some reason, when I (we) become increasingly busy, the first thing that suffers is my relationships. My time for other people, for service, for FUN, for leisure time just BEING with the people I love is often the first sacrifice.

 So I ask myself, if a friend calls and needs support, will I drop everything and go?  Will they even call me in the first place if they think I'm "too busy"?  If one of my kids needs some extra love and attention, can my "to do" list be put aside?  

Do I make sure I get quality time with my husband?  Do I make sure I take care of and nurture ME ?  Do I have enough time, and energy, to serve people around me?

What makes my soul come alive and how am I proactive in making time for those things?  The same for my kids and husband?  What makes us come alive as a family?

What do I spend my free time doing?  And why?  Do I even have free time?  If not, why?  Does my use of time reflect who I am and who I hope to become?

"We give lip service to the idea that people are supremely important.  But what does our use of time say is important?"
                                                                                                         Jeff Shinabarger

It's okay to slow down.  It's okay to not be busy all.the.time.  It's okay to take things off the schedule that don't support my WHY or the goals and ambitions of our family life.  It's OKAY TO SAY NO.  Because when I say "no" to one thing, I say "yes" to something that supports my why.  Something that matters MORE.

So I'm trying to slow down.  BE STILL.  Listen.  Pay attention.  Notice details.  Be deliberate with my time.  Nurture relationships with family, friends, and strangers.  And solely focus on what really matters to me.  People.  And love.