The Art of Finding Spaciousness in a Chronically Busy Life
Most mornings, I wake up in the dark, before sunrise, before the tasks of my day are expected to begin. I lie down on the musty area rug in my living room, rest on the earth, and make a practice of connecting to the immeasurable spaciousness that is at the heart of life.
I’m not seeking bliss (although I’d welcome it). I’m not trying to transcend or get rid of thoughts or any part of myself. I’m simply making room for the chaos of my life.
I do a lot of things, but I no longer have a chronically busy life. Most people I know do. It’s an agreement of our modern, Western culture. If we are busy, then we are clearly being productive. If we are being productive, then surely we are valuable, and if our value is justified by our busyness then of course we don’t necessarily have to be accountable to others or to our own deeper desires and longings because, well, you know…everyone understands when you say, “I’m just too busy…” It’s our unspoken, and overly spoken, agreement to let ourselves off the hook.
Chronic Busyness is a Story
In his book, From Making a Living to Creating a Life, David Firth, says “we make our reality by the stories we tell each other. So ‘we’re all really busy’ doesn’t describe our reality; it’s not an account of what’s really…
