The first week of classes is over, and the best word to sum it up seems to be busy. Busy with teaching. Busy with union stuff. Busy writing. Busy analyzing. Busy maintaining a social life. Busy with all of the normal activities associated with life (e.g. shit, shower, and shave 
). Busy creating. Busy jogging and practicing yoga. Busy meditating…
Busy, busy, busy…
Every self-help book I’ve read (and there have been quite a few at this point) warns about falling into this busy-ness. About losing yourself in the busy-ness.
And I’ve been there before. Lost… Lost from keeping my head down and plowing through my various to-do lists, unable to see the forest for the trees. Until I finally looked up, exhausted, and realized that the forest was burning around me. And realizing that I cut off all of the people who cared for me and who could help me out of the flames, if only I could raise my voice to ask. If only I had the energy to reach out…
I haven’t been back to that place in quite awhile, though I’ve accidentally found myself on the path back to it. Fortunately, I now recognize the warning signs of working too hard for too long earlier. Science is no longer fun at that point. The thought of hanging out with friends begins to feel like work, because I just need … a minute … to breathe. Meditation disappears from my schedule. Jogging and yoga become guilty pleasures. In fact, doing anything besides work (i.e. work associated with my degree) becomes a guilty pleasure. How can I justify running, practicing yoga, painting, cleaning the house, etc… when there is just so much to do?!
But the reality is that those “other” things are necessary too! To produce excellent work, I need to stay fit. I need to create and maintain space to express my creative side. I need to have positive social interactions with my friends and other people. Certainly the house needs to be clean. All of those things help me to do my job better and more efficiently when I am doing it.
So even though this past week, and at least the one before it, has been busy, I still feel healthy. Those things that keep me sane (e.g. creating, jogging, yoga) are still enjoyable. Work is enjoyable. I have a lot on my plate, but I can look up from the plate and still enjoy the flavor of the dish.
Right now, busy feels good.