How much are you trying to get done in a typical day? After the second world war industry began creating conveniences designed to make our lives easier. Their purpose was to give us more time for enjoyment. Working less made sense.
The conveniences available today were unimaginable 50 years ago. Cooking and cleaning are rarely all-day affairs. It’s entirely possible to eat well without ever using the stove or the oven. Most of our shopping can be done without stepping outside, other than to retrieve our packages.
If this is all true, then why is everyone so darn busy! My neighbor worked 20 hours per week but could never stop to talk. She was always in a hurry to get someplace. A cell phone appeared to be semi-permanently attached to her ear. Her husband worked an average of 60 hours per week. We rarely saw him.
Do we really have so much to do? Or is busyness a badge of honor, a sign of respect, an indication of your worth as a contributing member of society? When the age of convenience began most women did not work outside of the home. Is it even respectable to be a housewife anymore?
Sacrifices must be made. It wasn’t so very long ago when you wouldn’t want that word, sacrifice, associated with your name. Now it’s just something we do to get something we want. In the end, if we give up our life to get what we want, whether it’s glory in the afterlife or the smell of a new car, the real meaning of the word has changed very little.
It’s easy to get caught up in the rush to the top. We’re surrounded by images of abundance and opulence. Imagining yourself as the star of the show, the celebrity, the winner, is exciting. It feels good.
Once we get past the fantasy and are mired in the reality we quickly find out that the people at the top haven’t escaped the trials and tribulations of living. They just have greater conveniences. But what good is that when we’re too busy to enjoy a moment of freedom?
Trying to get everything done, especially when you’re in a hurry to do it, just isn’t any fun. Perhaps it’s necessary. We always believe that it is when we’re in the midst of doing it. Later on, when we have some perspective we may see things differently.
Perspective is another word for wisdom. I don’t see too much of that, especially in those who should have a great deal of it. But then, I suppose they’re just too busy solving the problems of the world.
How about yourself? Are you expending your energies for the possibility of future rewards? Have you found a way to enjoy your time right now, right where you are right now?