The busy addiction

Do you know your warning signs of nearing burn out? In today's age, society is losing patience. With the immediacy of modern technology, no one wants to wait. There feels to be a demand to reply right away to a post, text and email. I have had people send me numerous messages when I did not reply as quickly as a sender would have liked. Nervously unawaiting a response.

The addiction to busyness continues to haunt our world. As workers, the struggle of knowing the difference between happiness and success has always existed. Individual identities are still wrapped up in achievement and what we do for a living as opposed to who we are as a person. Financial and work success does not necessarily equal true happiness.

If you are doing so much, and you feel suffocated, you may be on the verge of burn out. If you are unable to pause and review or plan, you may be on the verge of burn out. If you are getting sick regularly and haven't let your body slow down a bit, you may be on the verge of burn out. The significant question: When and do you find time to slow it down? Have you taken a day off, used your vacation time? Do you allow yourself down time?

Down time, extracurricular activities and rest can make us better workers. Ready, focused and alert to bring the best to what we do. Here are some easy ways to avoid the busyness rabbit hole:

Prepare: make time to plan, this allows you to know the direction you need to move toward and gives you enough flexiblity when the unexpected happens

Prioritize: you can't do everything at once, set your plan for the day and manage your time accordingly

Take breaks: Meal times are great reminders for breaks, enabling you to refresh and reboot.

Collaborate: Being a good team member means you can engage others and work together toward goals.

Sacred Spaces

In honor of Earth Day, I would like to celebrate and add to the spiritual spaces in my life. Spiritual spaces are sacred areas where I feel I can connect with my true self easily. It is also where I can delight in oneness with my surroundings. Growing up in New York City, I felt like Central Park was my backyard. In the middle of my people watching, I would read a bit or write in my journal. I enjoy my connection with nature and my connection with myself.

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to add more sacred spaces to my list. I hiked the Bell Rock vortex in my most recent visit to Sedona, Arizona. I admired the view and shade from Chapel Rock along the same road. There was a camaradie on the trail. We engaged with other hikers and found relief in different bushes to break from the crisp Sun.

I also felt the wonders of the Antelope Canyon by Page, Arizona. On Navajo land, the slot canyon is "the place where water runs through rocks." The care and honor of the canyon was evident in the small group tours and clear instructions. The stunning perspectives the tour guide directed us to were amazing. All the photos above were taken there. This canyon is a photographer's dream and in fact there are photography tour options.

These spaces not only allow me to spoil in wonders and oneness; they refresh and renew my body, mind, and spirit. Are there any places you are moved to see and visit? Are there spaces that you visit frequently that bring you piece of mind? Treasure your sacred spaces, there are certainly some that are closer than you think.

Compassion in action

The latest book I am reading, A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World by Daniel Goleman, invites us to look at compassion in a new way. Muscular compassion is what the Dalai Lama calls compassion in action. What a great title?! He goes on to talk about the 3 main ingredients of compassion in action; transparency, fairness and accountability. Also not three words that I naturally connect with compassion. He moves beyond just kindness and gives us a grander picture.

The Dalai Lama explains the 3 principles that exude muscular compassion. With fairness, he asks that everyone be treated the same. With transparency, he asks for honesty and openness and with accountability he asks that everyone is answerable for misdeeds. This gives us the next step after inviting small acts of kindness into our daily lives.

Our society is so out of practice, I am always encouraging others to demonstrate compassion through small acts of kindness. Now I can take it further with openness, fairness and finding different ways to hold myself and others accountable. I have enlisted an accountability buddy when making big decisions and also when resetting goals. Perhaps now I can enlist one to also help me stay fair and honest.

He encourages us to use our emotions in the best way possible. Use anger in constructive ways to respond to injustice effectively. His description of compassion is about opposing the act, but loving the person. As he says, "Even if a person's actions are destructive, maintain a sense of concern for their well-being; if you have the ability, you must stop wrongdoing." For me, this certainly works hand in hand with forgiveness. I can forgive and do not forget.