Busy for a Time

One of the interesting things that I've had to get used to in my life is the fact that I have extremely busy times now and then, interspersed with times that aren't really all that busy at all, when I have plenty of time to work on projects and to do fun and different things.  What I've had to learn is to take these busy times for what they are and roll with them, and not try to do all the things that I'd normally do while I'm busy.

This blog is a good example.  It has been "neglected" lately, for I've been extremely busy for the last six weeks or so.  First came the end of the semester in December, which meant lots of grading and such, and then came the winter break, when I was working on finishing a book that I'd been working on for years.  I have three book projects in the works, and I know that I have to set aside time to work on something exclusively if I want to actually finish it.  So during Christmas break, that was my goal--finish the book--and other things that I work on were put aside for a while.  Now that the new semester is starting, I'm busy once more preparing for two classes that I've never taught before, so other things are still put aside.

It's been a good lesson for me because it's helped me to learn a couple of important lessons.  First of all, taking time off from something doesn't ruin it and doesn't mean that it's not important to me. Sometimes we think that we can't put anything to the side or we'll lose it or ruin it--and that's definitely not the case. We can pick things up again later and we can leave them for good--life is about change and cycles, and we don't always have to do the same things.

Secondly, taking time off from something can be refreshing and rejuvenating, and we can find great inspiration in coming back to something that we love doing. That time off can be the best thing in the world for a project, for when we come back to it after doing something else, we often find that we see things differently now, and we're able to find new solutions and new methods of achieving our goals in the projects.

While I'm away from something like this blog, I feel a bit of guilt even, but being away from it helps me to realize that I shouldn't feel guilty because I know that I will get back to it, and that it will go on fine when I do return. Taking a break is not abandonment, and it's very important that we learn that distinction, both for ourselves and for other people we know so that we don't accuse them of abandoning something that they're simply taking a break from.

If something has got you tied up and stressed, perhaps it's time to look at the other things in your life to figure out just what you can take a break from so that you can free up time for whatever it is that has you busy. If it's your highest priority then you have to do it, of course--but you don't have to continue to do everything else that you've been doing. There's a reason why so many spiritual teachings value discernment in our lives: it helps us to keep a balance that helps us to maintain peace in our lives. Make your choices, and accept them for what they are, and work whole-heartedly on what you're doing so that you can do it as well as you can. You can always return!