Keeping Busy & Finding Peace

Yes, I am a busy person. Sometimes I yearn for a quiet time so I can just sit and read until sleepy. Then fall into a deep nap for an hour or so. No interruptions. No diversions. Just quiet and rest.

Sometimes the book being read is a mystery thriller, or maybe a romantic tale by Maeve Binchy. Or a non-fiction read on social issues. Usually the topics are recreational, not instructive. Something to break away from daily routines.

The phone does not ring as often these days; good thing because I hate it! And being a cell phone it is always with me and almost always on. It connects to Blue Tooth in the car so I can make calls and receive them, too. All hands free, but always distracting!

I have programmed my life more and more toward email traffic. I ask people to contact me by email, mainly because the written word still holds sway over my life. And besides, a documentary trail of communication results from emails and I can always reference past ‘conversations’ for clarity. Bit by bit my work with an email partner is assembled and our work together is completed with clear understanding.

I do organization work – mentoring, clarifying mission, identifying tasks and operations, developing visions of the future and policies that will help them come into being. Some of this work is basic and simple. Some is very complex and conceptual. People have differing abilities to work in this arena, so email documentary trails are worthwhile. You see my interest in email?

Besides, I can turn to the email inbox at any time of day or night and work with what is there at my convenience. If I need to sit back and think on the work for a fresher idea or approach, I can. And then I write my thoughts and send them back to the client via email. They are then free to read and process the material at their convenience, same as for me.

Yes, email traffic and protocols fit better with a 24-hour approach to life. If I’m bored, I turn to my projects and clients. So much more rewarding and flexible. In turn, this approach is also much more creative and leads to inventive thinking. Perspective, too.

I do this work for the mental exercise and the sense of achievement through the efforts of others. They are driven by their personal missions and dreams; I help them work through those toward their objectives. What they achieve is in some small part mine as well. And that is a satisfying thing for me. The reward in place of a paycheck. Nice.

So, when the TV programming is dull (most of the time!), or the news is unsavory (nearly all the time!) I have a book, a nap or an email file to turn to. It has been my saving grace in retirement. Believe me, I feel purposeful and alive living my life this way.

A couple of other things. In personal connections with my church or local organizations, if they have a problem or need of a project, I can usually help them quickly and effectively. After all, I do this sort of thing for my clients and it has taught me how to focus on what matters and how to change things around to solve problems. Some of the local organizations wonder how I do it but really, it is easy. I do it all the time for others so it comes naturally for the local groups.

And of course, I have the greatest outlet for letting off steam and inventing fresh thoughts on other interesting topics: writing this blog. I did this at first so I could ‘clear out my brain’ and then focus more socially on current events in the community for a local newspaper. When I wrote a column or editorial, I could do so without invective or sour grapes. I dumped all of that bile in the blog! So my local writings were kinder and gentler.

As a result local readership was much more loyal and we ran the paper this way for 7 years. Then old age and deficit spending took its toll and we shuttered the newspaper.

The blog has been useful. It has helped me gain perspective on my thinking process and in turn learned what really is important to me and what isn’t. That alone is a generous reward. So here I am still busy and productive at 73 and enjoying every day.

We are poorly fixed for revenue so we have few extras and certainly no travel. But we remain upbeat and engaged in life. And that’s really where the action has been all along anyway. Always has been.

For you too? Or are you too involved in fighting for career footing, child raising, and planning for the long term (retirement, college educations, world travel, etc.)? If this is the case you need to find some free time regularly and turn off the noisy TV. Find silence. Find personal space. At least one hour each day.

And maybe a nap! Work on this. It is well worth your effort.

November 3, 2016