Busy

Why do I feel like I always have so much to get done? Sometimes I feel so busy it is completely overwhelming. I run from place to place as fast as I can to get more things done. Doing, going, rushing. I have a to do list that I constantly keep (either in my mind or on paper) of all of the things that need to be done: dishes, laundry, grocery store, meal planning, library, LLL, sewing project, knitting, .... it can go on forever.

What is this mindset of business that I always seem to have? I don't think it is necessary or even important. A few days ago it occurred to me that being to busy with so much to do was not making me feel fulfilled or even happy. I was so grumpy and cranky, yelling at my kids and whining to Ben. I was miserable! This was not a new revelation to me but it was a much needed reminder to slow down, enjoy life, be happy. 5 years from now, I won't think back to this time when my kids are so little and say "oh how I wish I had a cleaner house, or I wish my dishes were clean." I'm sure I won't care about that at all. Instead I will wish I had taken more time to play, to laugh, and to love. I will wish that I had cherished and soaked in every moment when my babies were little for it only last such a short time. I want to stop being to busy. I want to stop doing things that make me overwhelmed and stressed. I want to forget all of the to dos and instead do the things that make me happy and fulfilled.

My usual self would say "What is wrong with me" but I resisted. On Tuesday I went to a workshop on Emotional Intelligence and learn many things. On of the most useful things I learned was to resist asking "Whats wrong with me" and instead as "What can I change". So I put this to the test. Being a list maker, I made 2 lists: "Things that make me happy" and "things that don't". I noticed that I wasn't doing anything on my "things that make me happy list." No wonder I was so miserable. So I decided to make a simple change- Do more things that make me happy and less things that don't. That is exactly what I did yesterday and it worked wonder for me. I took the kids on a little hike to trow rocks in the stream. I enjoyed taking pictures while the kids played in the leaves and water. It was so refreshing and I feel so much happier. It's funny how easy it is for me to get stuck in a rut of miserable living and how a simple change can make such a difference for me and everyone around me. My new goal for the next... well forever really... is to do more things that make me happy and less things that don't. I will put this up on the fridge along with my lists as a reminder : ).

Hope you all have a happy weekend full of things that make you happy.