I wonder if every generation sees the world in terms of what things were like when they were young? The stories of “Back in the day… ” that I rolled my eyes at when I was a kid, or in my teens, or even in my young adult years, seemed so irrelevant to the world I knew. Now it’s my turn, and I see the advantage of having been witness to the flow of life for so many decades. With age comes the gift of a broader perspective.
The world does indeed seem to be moving faster over time, and I don’t think it’s all due to my desire for a slower pace as I mature. Even young people are feeling the demands of work, home and family life, and all that is needed just to function in the world today. Nearly everyone I know, despite their age, is busier than ever, and wishes they had more time.
I find it a bit ironic that, at least in some sense, our success in life, and maybe even our supposed happiness is measured by how busy we are. Isn’t being busy near to the point of being overwhelmed what we are supposed to be? But when it comes down to it, is all this running around, bouncing from one thing to another with our “to do” lists getting ever longer, truly bringing more meaning or joy to our lives? How did we ever come to the conclusion that busier is better, and what do we do about it now?
Surely we can’t all just go “off the grid” and retreat from the world. There are things that have to be done if we are to exist in the world as humans. The functioning of society largely depends on the doing part of humanity. And in truth, the fullness of the human experience is felt through both being present in the moment (the being), and in taking actions that stem from that presence (the doing).
I believe it is possible to bring more being into our lives, and to (at least partially) let go of our perpetual experience of doing. It comes with getting to know ourselves on a very deep level. It is cultivated by spending time in our own company. Indeed, there is awareness, love, wisdom and peace to be found in the living presence within each of us. That presence is beyond all of the temporary aspects of our humanness; beyond the roles we play in life, beyond our accomplishments or our perceived failures, beyond our physical being, our personality, and even beyond our ever shifting thoughts and emotions.
One thing I have learned is that our true value in this world is not equivalent to the demands on our time. The value we bring to the world actually rests in how much of our deeper selves we are able to bring to the table; how much of our inner light we manage to bring to the surface and share with others. Maybe, if we get to know ourselves, spend just a little time with ourselves every day, we will simply choose our doing with a little more care. Even if we may do a little less, maybe experiencing our own being can help us bring more joy and passion to our doing. Maybe, just maybe, our doing will be even more valuable to others if it is fueled by our being.
There is indeed love to be shared and joy to be had in this complicated and busy world of ours. But in order to feel the gifts in our lives, the gift of life, we must show up. Really show up! Be present in the small moments of our lives. Cultivate relationship with the self. Fall deeply, madly in love with the magnificent beings that we are. Only then will we be ready to give the gift of that being to the world. So do whatever it is that brings you closer to yourself. Become intimately familiar with the love that you are. And be at peace knowing that there is nothing of greater value than your own being!
The nature of us 