Time Out
Last week my friend Anh at Mod31 posted an article entitled Doing Nothing and True Silence. It really resonated in me:
“Really, who has time to waste these days, in the hustle and bustle of work, projects, and various activities? In fact, I don’t think I know how to NOT multi-task anymore. At work I tend to have 5-10 windows and who knows how many tabs are open simultaneously, allowing me to jump from one task to the next, with a quick Facebook breather in between. I work through my lunches, text coworkers my latte order while driving…, call my friends and family while walking from one place to another, mentally going over my weekly schedule while at the gym, and omigosh when can I squeeze in that much needed haircut? You get the idea. Instead of being present at one event, I am already planning my next hour/day’s activities. Heck, I’m reading three different books right now and am not more than halfway through each one”
This describes me to an absolute tee! Recently Anh has been trying to change her behaviour:
“I’ve been trying to set aside a couple of hours every now and then to be truly alone and to just be present. I mean turning my phone off to go for a walk around my neighborhood, enjoying the Farmer’s Market, making a Holy Hour (time set out solely for prayer), and allowing myself to reflect on various aspects of my life, without the anxiousness of feeling lonely or as though precious time is being wasted“
On my way back from work earlier this week, inspired by her example, I pulled off the freeway by Mission Bay and took a long walk:
It’s quite crazy that I’ve lived in San Diego for over two years and have driven past Mission Bay every day…and this is the first time I’ve stopped off on my way home to simply drink in the view.