I haven’t stepped into my office to work all week. With all that is happening in our country, writing my thoughts seemed trivial. While I’m not going to talk about politics or the state of the world- I want to talk about something a little closer to home.
Burn out.
Our day to day lives are wearing us down. We’re living life tethered. Technology, our culture, our jobs, our family responsibilities. We can do it all- but can we do it all well? Our reserves are low. Our energy on empty. And we’re running on fumes. It’s happening to every one!
In Present Over Perfect, Shauna Niequist says, “Burnout is not reserved for the rich or the famous or the profoundly successful. It’s happening to so many of us, people across all kinds of careers and lifestyles…You don’t have to have a public life or a particularly busy life in order to be terribly, dangerously depleted.”
After reading that, I felt like she was speaking right to me. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed for awhile now- but couldn’t quite put my finger on WHY.
I need simplicity. That’s why I today I sat down and wrote this Simplicity Manifesto:
I want to wake up in the morning without a plan for the day. I want to SAVOR my coffee and soak in this season with my little boy.
I want to be elbow deep in bread dough. To break beans, just the way my Grandparents did.
I want to see life though my son’s eyes, not through a carefully filtered lens. I want to live in the moment- experience it!
I want to serve locally. To look people in the eyes and shake their hands, instead of only trying to reach people through a screen.
I want to have real conversations. To listen intently to people’s stories, not just read about them. So much is lost when you can’t hear the rise and fall of emotion in voices- the inflection of their words. I crave authentic connection. Hearts spilled over hot cups of coffee and to shed tears of laughter over late night glasses of wine. To gather around a table of beloved friends and share with one another.
Hands held in hardships, and fingers grasped in prayer.
Communion. Communication. Connection. Community.
Things that have become so lost on our generation.
This fast-paced, need to know, information on demand society is sometimes too much for my old soul to bear.
I need the stillness and the quiet.
No buzzing of electronics. Phones ringing, notifications beeping. The shrill shrieks from our technological culture ringing in my ears. Shoved down my throat.
The simple has become looked down upon. We try to find better, more advanced ways to do menial tasks. Surely there’s a quicker way, right?
But, when we come to the end of our lives, we realize that the only thing we wish for is more time. That we could’ve slowed it down. Spent more time with the people that we love, breaking bread and sitting still.
Nothing else matters.
I don’t want to live with regret. The time to slow down is NOW- when there’s still plenty of time left.
I’m not going to wait.
Let’s take the time to disconnect. To leave the virtual world behind and interact with the physical one.
To create memories, live moments, be present.To cultivate lasting relationships.
We were created to be social- made to share experiences, advice, and responsibilities. To live and work alongside one another. To lift each other up when we’re down. To love our neighbor as ourselves.
The time to get started is today.
