Stop Hustling and Start Thriving.

“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?”

― Henry David Thoreau

Being busy is not a badge of honor.

Everywhere you look people are scurrying around quickly, going here and going there. They are extremely busy doing this and that. If you ask them for a cup of tea, often the response is, “I am so busy to stop for tea”. They look like wound-up little toys moving around from morning to night, only to flop into bed, depleted and exhausted, and most often not truly having accomplished anything of real value or deep and focussed work.

This is the case with most of the world. Most people believe that hyperactivity means hyper-productivity. It is the opposite. The most meaningful work that has the highest impact, value, and contribution is done slowly and deliberately with purpose and intention.

1. Being busy does not allow for deep thinking and work.

“Busyness chokes deep thinking.”

― Todd Stocker, Refined: Turning Pain Into Purpose

When we are too scattered, our energy, our minds, and our emotions are often all over the place and it does not allow for us to do deep flow with what we are doing. We are only able to scratch the surface before moving on to the next thing due to a perceived lack of time or having too many things to do.

2. Being busy all the time does not spark and foster creativity.

“Only in silence, I find myself. Life in the city is so hectic that you lose the right perspective. It's important to know that our biggest resources are in our heart”

―Rabindranath Tagore.

Creativity requires solitude, stillness, and vast expanses of free time for the brain to travel, explore and make connections. When we are extremely busy, the brain and body go into survival mode and focus primarily on keeping us moving and alive.

This reduces our creativity and time for imagination and discovery.

3. Being busy all the time does not help with recovery, which is key to doing great work for life.

“Let's start by taking a smallish nap or two.”

— Winnie-the-Pooh:)

Our bodies, hearts, and minds need effective recovery from work to function properly and sustain over long periods. Most people do not give sufficient value or time to recovery, and hence it leads to crashing stars, burnout, depression, and deep dissatisfaction. Slowing down, and savoring each moment allows us to enjoy the present, and recover from deep work, which is essential for all of us.

A better approach is a “less but better” strategy. Focussing only on what is essential and most important, eliminating, outsourcing, and simplifying the rest allows you to do what matters most in your life.

This approach is life-changing if applied to both our personal and professional lives.

So, let’s curate our lives and activities like master organizer Marie Kondo, and focus only on keeping only the best, doing what we love and what brings us the most joy, and makes us feel most alive, and be content with chucking the rest.

It’s time to wake up and Shine!

Hope this is helpful in your Shine Journey to be inspired, learn, grow, get better and shine a little brighter, not just in our own lives, but in our families and the world around us, in small, simple, and easy ways.

Remember, Shine starts with small, and if sustained daily, becomes significant over time.

Shine On, and wishing you the best to inspire and help others shine as well!