AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2018 – Opinion column, by Megan Thomas
I started to notice a common response when asking friends, family, patients and collagues how they were.
Invariably, they would say: “BUSY!” This was then followed by a drained ‘you know what I mean’ kind of expression that would come across their faces.
People sounded exhaused and exasperated when they were asked to describe how they were, yet the choices they made to live that busy lifestyle were, for the most part, their own doing and also exactly what they wanted.
I then thought back to a parenting seminar I once attended that spoke about the way we are exactly what we say and think we are.
If we continually tell ourselves and others that we are wallowing around in a pile of crap, then we can’t let go of the mindset and we actually do believe we are.
I believe the same goes for always telling others how busy we are. This makes us wallow around thinking the busyness is bad.
Am I busy?
Well, I have two young children, two large dogs, a house with a backyard and a pool, I own and run a large physiotherapy company, exercise most days of the week and catch up with friends regularly. So, most certainly I lead a busy lifestyle.
If being busy means being involved, engaged, absorbed and immersed in life then yes, I am busy… but do I describe myself as busy? Not anymore. I prefer to say I am happy, successful, loved, fulfilled and very much enjoying this thing we call life.
So, in the future if someone asks how you are, try to think of any other words you could use to positively describe how you choose to live your life.
It’s highly likely you will be pleasantly surprised that the admiring responses will make you realise you are not wallowing in busyness at all.
