What do we spend most of our life doing?

Friday musings What do we spend most of our life doing? This is what I have thought about very often. So we are either working, earning, eating, exercising , talking to friends – family – colleagues, exercising , watching TV , driving , travelling , reading or whatever and life is going on . Above all, we are busy conforming and living up to the expectations of the world around us However, when was the last time you sat down or lay down and just thought? Nothing else. When was the last time you actually thought about your life and what you wanted to do with it – what direction you were moving in and where you were going? Seriously and without thinking of ‘pending work’ or ‘what do I do next’ I know what many are going to say – ‘life is far too short to waste time just thinking’. Alternatively, ‘we are getting on with life, the thinking stage is over ’! Fair point and well noted Life is all about balance – it is your life after all and there is only one – so sometimes it is okay and often even necessary to shut down, kick back and do nothing. You do not need to be rushing around, getting things done and measuring output all the time. Multi-tasking, meeting deadlines and delivering is fine but are you focusing on the ‘me time’ or waiting for a meltdown? Often people tell me they are exhausted, stressed out, fed up , depressed and finding it next to impossible to go on and that’s sad . I do feel that the pressures of modern day living with the often-unreasonable expectations of society are the cause of innumerable ills in the world. Words like peer pressure, mental health, conform , temper tantrums ,substance abuse , insomnia, irritability, mood changes, depression anxiety, eating disorders, panic attacks, triggers , inconsistencies, counselling , special education are all fairly new and a cause for concern. The number of psychologist or psychiatrists has gone up many time fold and they are in more demand than ever before. Have we ever wondered why ? Research suggests that about one fifth of the population suffers from some mental health issues at some time during the course of their life. This is an alarming statistic and either not many are doing much about it or we are hoping it will just go away as locusts do after feasting. Now please do not get me wrong – I am no expert, I do not have all or any of the answers for that matter. However I have a thought - It’s it ironical that while technology is continually invented to supposedly saves us time and make our lives easier , we somehow use that time to do more and more things, and so our lives are more fast-paced and hectic than ever.! Are we actually enjoying our time and our lives and focusing on what is important for us? I do know many who are and I make an attempt as well – and yes, I do feel I am succeeding in doing more things that I enjoy and give me satisfaction. Hence, I read, write, speak, play my guitar, watch fun stuff on television, relax, laugh and (try) and making people laugh as well. At times, I succeeded and at other times, I fail but then again who is counting! Are we spending time smelling the roses and watching the birds fly by - or are we busy listing the tasks to be completed? Making a conscious choice to SLOW DOWN is not always an easy one, but it leads to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness. Being truly present , believing in quality over quantity , disconnecting from the world while connecting with people ( if you get what I mean ), eating or driving slower , simplifying where possible , de-cluttering are all the need of the hour . Not easy, I know. I am in not advocating that we should not work hard or that we should just sit back and breathe! What I am saying is that in order to ensure that our emotional equilibrium is stable we must walk in the rain, stomp in the puddles and laugh aloud! To quote Jerome Segal in Grateful Simplicity:- “The time we give to things reflects our values. When everything is rushed, then everything has been devalued . . . To live gracefully is to live within flowing rhythms at a human pace . . . There is time to pay respect to the value of what you do, to the worth of those you care for, and to the possessions you own. Gracefulness is not possible when life is frantic, when we are harried, or suffer from overload, time crunch, and a vast multiplicity of commitments and pressures.” It is about time we make a concerted effort to ensure that our life becomes more spacious, more meaningful, and more joyful. We owe it to ourselves and at times, we MUST put ourselves first.