I remember my school librarian in 6th grade telling our class, "When you're 12, your life goes 12 miles an hour. The days, weeks, and months seem to take forever to come and pass. But when you're 35, your life goes 35 miles an hour. When you're 60, your life goes 60 miles an hour, and the days seem to fly by."
I decided to check this theory with my grandparents (who were in their 70s at the time). I repeated what the librarian had said to us, and then asked, "Is it true? Do your lives go 72 & 78 miles an hour?" My grandmother said, "Absolutely, yes. We wake up in the morning, and before we know it, it's time to go to bed again."
Sigh.
I'm 38, and I already feel like this. And the thing is, I don't feel like I'm THAT busy. I don't think I am. I think I'm not mindfully living each day. I think I do so many things on auto-pilot--washing dishes, folding laundry, cleaning, preparing food, etc. But I don't take time to enjoy those moments, and all the other moments in between. Everything is a means to an end--even my interactions with my kids: "Pick up your room. Hang up your coat. Set the table. Bring your laundry. Wash your face. Hurry and get in the car so we can get to Girl Scouts/Co-op/Playdate/Appointment/Dance class." Rarely do I sit down with them ask them how they're doing, what they're currently interested in, what they'd like to learn, if they have a new favorite color/ice cream flavor/book series, or whatever.
Remember this talk from General Conference? Of Regrets and Resolutions It's the one where President Uchtdorf said,
Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.
Is it?That was the take-away for a lot of us, I think. That was the 10-second soundbite that we as 21st Century People LOVE. It's catchy, quick, bite-sized wisdom that we can turn into a meme and share on social media. We live our lives in catchy, quick, bite-sized memes, and glimpses into modern life. (I've heard that this is exactly what Snapchat is.) But I digress.
President Uchtdorf's talk is so much more than 3 sentences about being busy. Check out this meaty morsel, for example:
I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.
I can’t see it.
Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.Or this one:
Sometimes in life we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey...
Doesn’t it seem foolish to spoil sweet and joyful experiences because we are constantly anticipating the moment when they will end?
Do we listen to beautiful music waiting for the final note to fade before we allow ourselves to truly enjoy it? No. We listen and connect to the variations of melody, rhythm, and harmony throughout the composition.
Do we say our prayers with only the “amen” or the end in mind? Of course not. We pray to be close to our Heavenly Father, to receive His Spirit and feel His love.
We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,” the Psalmist wrote. “Rejoice and be glad in it.”
But wait! There's more! Lots more! I printed this talk, and am planning to reread it in its entirety today. And then I plan to live more mindfully this week, and focus on more meaningful interactions with my family and friends.
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