"When stress levels rise, when distress appears, when tragedy strikes, too often we attempt to keep up the same frantic pace or even accelerate, thinking somehow that the more rushed our pace, the better off we will be.
One of the characteristics of modern life seems to be that we are moving at an ever-increasing rate, regardless of turbulence or obstacles.
Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives.
It is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Overscheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks.
The wise resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of everyday life. They follow the advice “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” In short, they focus on the things that matter most."--Dieter F. Uchtdorf (LDS General Conference November 2010)
Last week was full of sick kids.
Sunday Carter woke up with a fever, and when it spiked to 103 I took him into urgent care where we got him an antibiotic for an ear infection. We spent all Sunday snuggled up together.
Very early Wednesday morning Tyler came down to our room, and we ended up together in the bathroom for several hours, followed by snuggling all day.
The thing was, I had lots of stuff to do. Suddenly my big long to do list was no longer important.
It made me think of the above quote by President Uchtdorf. Why don't I stop and slow down more often? Why is it that I only do that when I'm forced to? All those things I thought I had to do, we all survived without doing it. Do I really focus on what's most important?
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3 comments:
Amen!
I reread this talk this week and gave it as a lesson for VT. Such a great reminder to always remember the most important things (especially with the holidays approaching).
Hope you are all feeling better. We had the throw-ups last week. It's no fun to clean up as the mom, but even worse watching your kids so sick. But, the snuggling time is so nice!
Thanks for the reminder. I think especially around the holidays it's easy to fill up our to-do lists!
Merry Xmas,
God bless America, I loved reading your post, keep dreaming.
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