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WE live in a busy world. That’s how it seems, and that’s what everyone says.
We’re all busy, right?! There’s no other way, right?! We have no choice in the matter, right?
Busy as a choice…it’s certainly a subject matter to consider if you haven’t already done so. When it comes down to it, it’s important to ask: is busyness a choice?
Yes, it’s (mostly) a choice
I think that ultimately much of our busyness is a choice and our choice. For example, we choose to get married, have a child, and start a family. A child needs to be cared for (in a variety of ways), so here comes “the busy”. We choose to have another child. More busy. We buy a house and have to maintain it. We get involved in social circles, in our community, and our church. We sign up for activities, and then we sign our children up for activities.
Yes, ultimately, we choose all that busyness. Maybe we don’t look at it that way, but it truly is how it works. We live this life; it’s a life made up of days, weeks, months, and years, and we choose how we fill it.
No, it’s not (always) a choice
There are also things in life we don’t choose. A family doesn’t choose a terminal illness that lands their child in the hospital for months on end. A person don’t choose the loss of a spouse and the single life filled with all the responsibilities. No, we don’t always choose the busyness. Yes, there are situations and parts of life that are unavoidably busy.
If life has you in a place where most of your busyness was not your choice, don’t despair; don’t become discouraged. There are parts of life we just can’t change, and some of that, comes with a whole lot of busyness.
Choose wisely
If we remember that there is unavoidable busyness then we can more carefully consider the avoidable busyness of life. Options for how we choose to fill our days surround us (and often crowd us). When the choice is ours, we must choose wisely. Fill your day to the brim if you think that is best, but don’t forget (when you’re tempted to complain) that you made that choice. Sign your kids up for lots of extra curricular activities if you want, but don’t grumble out it. Fill your calendar to overflowing if that seems best, but don’t tell everyone around you just how busy you are.
Choose your attitude
If you can’t change the circumstance (and maybe you don’t want to or you can’t), then change your attitude. There is a lot of life that we might refer to as busy. But you know what? Maybe it’s not busy. Maybe it’s life. Maybe it’s a blessing. Maybe it’s a choice. Maybe we should be thankful and grateful and embrace the life we’re living.
Looking for ways to decrease the busyness inside and outside your home? Check out these posts!
3 Ways to Be Less Busy Inside Your Home
3 Ways to Be Less Busy Outside Your Home
What about you? Do you think busyness is a choice? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so leave a comment below!
Until next time,
Charissa
