We are programmed “to do.” We are warned not to “waste our time.” Taking time “to simply be” is a foreign concept that does not register for so many people. I was taught that you are either productive or lazy and being productive is much more important. What I’ve learned is that being mindful and taking time to be is so important and necessary to feel, think and decide what we want. When we are in perpetual motion, we just do.
I had dinner with a former colleague last week who made me realize how addicted I used to be to my work and how loyal I was to my company. Had they needed to let me go, they would have done it in a heart beat. And yet, I agonized over leaving my company and divorcing my job because people relied on me. The reality is that the company is still standing tall and I probably gained years in my life. It never would have happened had I not had to stop and reflect. I had to see how much of my life I was missing as I ran by the moments that mattered. I am thankful that I had to stop and pay attention. It was a gift.
