The Cost of Being Busy

March 6, 2013

Maybe you’ve had this happen…

You pull up to get gas at the gas station (running late to somewhere), fill up the tank (while you’re filling up the tank you’re thinking that you still need to get to the store for some milk and bread, pick up the laundry at the dry-cleaners, do your taxes, and cook dinner for yourself or family, all before you go to your yoga class tonight), and drive away…with the gas nozzle still in your car…”SH@#$T” you scream, “I don’t have time for this!”

That was me by the way. I drove away with the gas nozzle still in my car – on the way to a meditation class. How funny is that?! I sat in the car looking at the nozzle in the rear view mirror, took a deep breath and said, “I didn’t just do that, did I?”

I did do that (it didn”t break the hose – there is an automatic pull release because apparently it happens all the time), and it taught me something.

I was too busy in my head and in my life to slow down enough to take the gas nozzle out of the car before I drove off. It woke me up.

Busy. Crazy busy. Stupid busy. Too busy. Overwhelmed. Overextended. Comfortable with being busy? Or tired of being busy? Then this post is for you.

Our culture says that to be busy is to be productive. To be busy is to be successful. To be busy is to look important and have worth.

And it’s ALL A CROCK OF SH@#$T.

You keep yourself busy for two (usually unconscious) reasons:
I’m going to be really direct here…

To avoid the discomfort you feel when you slow down. It’s safer to be busy than be uncomfortable with the “yucky” feelings.
You feel inadequate deep inside, like there isn’t enough time, money, or love, but basically you believe you’re not enough to fit the bill next to your friends, family and community.

So you stay busy: busy with work, busy with the family, busy with doing, busy with social engagements, busy with thinking, busy with planning, busy emailing, busy texting, busy, busy, busy. Gosh, I feel exhausted just writing this.

And that leads me to share what it’s costing you to be so busy.

YOUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Still being direct here because I want you to get this.

Being busy totally disconnects you from your Being – your Soul, your creativity, your heart, your love, your peace, your purpose. Ultimately everything that brings you joy and fulfillment.

Ask yourself, “Does being this busy feel fulfilling to me?”

Listen to the answer…in your heart, not your mind.

My guess is NO.

Brene Brown, author of Daring Greatly, says that “The busier and more frenetic we are, the more we feel scarcity.” Meaning that business leads to feeling more not enough-ness, not less.

So what to do about it…

Right now, think about what matters to your most in your life – is it going down the to do list and ticking things off, or connection with people.
Ask yourself why you keep yourself so busy – look for the TRUTH.
Take a deep breath, and decide on one thing this week you are going to say NO to (something that doesn’t feed your soul).
Find guidance to help you get out of this way of living your life – it doesn’t have to be this way. Your health and well-being matters. Living your purpose matters. Being balanced matters. You matter. I work with clients to create these exact results, and I can help YOU get out of busy mode too.

Categories: Health & Happiness

My passion, my calling, is for you to be totally you. Through private coaching, in-depth retreats, and online group coaching programs, I help you tap into your intuition and clarify your desires and vision, I guide you to take active steps toward making your desires a reality.

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The most powerful skill I have in my life now came through my work with Angela: the ability discern the difference between the voice of my ego (fear) and the voice of my higher self (love)

Shelby, Three Forks, MT

Angela is a pleasure to work with and the best cheerleader. She is willing to meet you where you are and sees no limit to your potential growth. At the same time, she’s able to be truthful, even when you’re denying your own truth, and make you examine it fully.

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I know there are plenty of apps and impersonal meditation resources out there but nothing compares to the power of working directly with Angela. I am feeling renewed, positive, focused, and self-empowered and am thankful for this journey.

Jen, Bozeman, MT

Through working with Angela, I am able to wait to react to situations until my initial emotional response has had time to cool. I am able to see actions and interactions from someone else’s perspective much more quickly and easily and to value that perspective instead of dismissing it.

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Prior to working with Angela 1-on-1, I was trying to fit myself into what I’d believed life “should” be, which left me lethargic and unhappy. My life now has a lot of positive and new, as a result of the clarity I developed while working with Angela. Together we uncovered what was true to me.

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Prior to working with Angela, I was feeling trapped in a job that didn’t suit me. I couldn’t make sense of my discontent, because I made good money, helped people, and had great coworkers — what was not to love? I was depressed and suffering from stomach issues, and my personal relationships were suffering. Angela came into my life just when I needed her, and she helped me to see that life isn’t about what I “should” be doing, but instead about what speaks to me. Her grace and compassion allowed me to give myself permission to follow my heart.

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I find myself taking more time to enjoy life! I find more time for living instead of doing. I see my steps instead of just getting to the “finish line.”

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For years, I’d been searching for a program that not only spoke to me but worked.

I tried several methods, including different types of therapy, exercise, books, and medication, and they certainly played a part in my change but they just weren’t enough. I knew that there had to be something different for me.

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Jamie, Bozeman, MT

I was feeling stuck in my life, not sure of where I wanted to go, afraid of losing my marriage and not being able to raise my teenagers.

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I am more clear about my desires, and I am more able to take time for myself without guilt. I am trusting more than ever in my life, the power of a source greater than myself to guide me.

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Before working with Angela, despite my life being circumstantially “fine”‘ I was feeling “stuck” and living with a very guarded heart.

While working together, I found myself more awake and alive and open to life and the people I love and truly care about it. I had been living in my head way too much.

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After taking the 1-on-1 program with Angela, I feel more at ease with myself. I am more open and patient with myself and with others. My life is different because I have learned the tools to become less reactive, more mindful and more loving with myself.

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The 1-on-1 program has changed the way I view the world and my life! I am more connected to my heart and my intuition, and have more of a sense of possibility. I have more trust that things will work out.

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Angela taught me such valuable tools for accessing my authentic and truest self. I’m remembering to breath more, pause more before I react, and, best of all, I’ve become more gentle with myself. What a gift to the soul!

Jamie, Bozeman, MT

With Angela’s caring guidance, I was able to become more aware of my feelings and where they were in my body. I am now able to listen to and trust my intuition and take action when it aligns with my true self. I have a clear sense of vision for my next career and am taking steps toward this vision with the attitude of imperfect action.

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After working with Angela, I’m happy to be me as I am now, and so curious about others as they are at that moment as well. I experience so much less stress and so much more joy!

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Angela’s guidance and encouragement in the practice of meditation has been paramount in this journey towards inner peace and self-acceptance. As reflected in her name, Angela has given me wings, for which I am forever grateful.

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In her 1-on-1 program, Angela suggested practical, intuitively-based assignments to help me stimulate my own intuition and remember the love for others that I had long ago buried. My sense of zeal in the spiritual adventure has been awakened.

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Courtney, Bozeman, MT

Before working with Angela, I had entered a prolonged period where I felt like I had lost control of my life and that I was racing from minute to minute and day to day just to accomplish my work.

Because I was under considerable stress from a demanding career, I didn’t have any energy left for my children, wife, or friends. And most importantly, my own physical and mental health were suffering and I was becoming perpetually irritable and unhappy.

Angela provided me with a number of tools to help me transition out of a feeling of helplessness and provided a safe environment for me to discuss how I was feeling, allowing me to re-establish my life priorities.

Daily meditation especially has had a profound positive effect. Since beginning with Angela, it has increased from 5 to nearly 30 minutes a day and the resulting inner peace and calm I have felt with introducing the practice into my life is nothing short of miraculous.

The most important change is that I feel more relaxed and in control of my life. I have learned to set boundaries with my work so that I can spend meaningful (and stress free) time with my family and with myself. I continue to meditate on a daily basis and I use this time to focus on my mental health. I have learned to slow down and enjoy each passing day.

Christopher, Bozeman, MT

The Cost of Being Busy

About the Author: Angela Patnode

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About the Author: Angela Patnode

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