"It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, 'What are we busy about?'"
Henry David Thoreau
I admit it: I am an agenda-loving kind of gal. I like to know what my day will consist of even before I sweep aside the bed covers or plant my pink painted toenails on the carpet. I theorize that this must be a direct result of my twelve years as an educator. Teachers become the ultimate time-keepers. We plan, we budget, we assess, we adjust, we monitor. We are the hyper-vigilant clock watchers and the conductor of each educational journey. The agenda must be sound!
Lately, however, I have begun to questions my priorities. Oh, not in the classroom, but outside of that chronometrical institution. The rest of my day is sometimes alarmingly disorganized! And when I find myself faced with far too many unchecked items on my To-Do list, I begin to make bad decisions, such as:
"I don't have time to exercise today- I need to get this laundry done."
"I should return my best friend's call, but I really have to clean out the refrigerator and then vacuum the living room."
"I'd really like to write for pleasure today but I should be grading these papers and working on next year's curriculum instead."
"I don't have time to cook something decent for dinner, so I'll have this microwavable something-or-other that probably has too much sodium and too many calories."
See what I mean? These are some piss-poor priorities and I'm calling myself out on them. When did I become such a slave to my household chores and protracted work assignments? Did I really just put off calling my best friend? Is there no room on my all-important To-Do list for a little exercise and a healthy home-cooked dinner? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark California, my friends. This can continue no longer. Thoreau was right--it isn't enough to be busy. Any blockhead can be busy. I want my minutes to count for something, to be meaningful, to send me to sleep with a smile and a sense of satisfaction.
Did I laugh today?
Did I make some one else laugh?
Was I a good friend?
Did I treat myself right today?
Did I do something fulfilling?
This is how my To-Do list should read. This is an agenda to be proud of -worthy of gold stars and smiley faces. And tomorrow, when my feet hit the floor, I will already be excited to execute my tasks and tally-up my accomplishments. I will be busy about the things that matter and mindful of the things that don't.
Many smiles,
Today's Gratitude List:
- flash-mob at the faculty meeting- such fun!
- salmon
- sunshine peeping through the rain clouds
- may flowers
