'Busy' as a Badge of Honour

Truth is, as a recovering serial over-achiever, I thought that being really busy was a badge of honour. I got very sucked in to the ‘busy culture’ of working long hours, getting antsy if I had a few spare minutes and always looking around for what else I could squeeze in my schedule. I saw my value in being someone who always has a plan and rushes around ticking jobs off a list. (Yes, I know I sometimes still do this – I did say I’m recovering ).

When I was interviewing young widows for my book about dealing with grief, I got a whole new understanding of the value of slowing right down. There were long pauses in our conversations and so much was communicated without a word being spoken. I realised that with my busy schedule, all I was doing was running across the surface of life. The meaty stuff is all down deeper, in places I was using my busy importance to hide from.

Image: Mauro Mora