Being Vs Doing

I recently spent several days helping a close friend with their important project. When I returned to my own life, thoughts started swirling around in my head around how behind I’d gotten on my own tasks. I started feeling agitated. I was eager to get caught up. Yet at the same time, I knew that my current state of mind was not going to help me.

We choose our reactions and our actions.

I had two choices: deal with my state of agitation or start working on my tasks right away. I used to believe that the only way to rid myself of my agitation was to ignore my feelings and start doing the tasks. I’ve tried that before: the result was that I continued to be agitated while ineffectively struggling with the tasks. A double whammy! I have since learned to focus on being vs doing.

The best way to change your state of mind is to start from within.

We tend to avoid dealing with our feelings by distracting ourselves with action. However, our feelings don’t go away until they’ve been dealt with. Responding to our feelings with empathy is the first step to dealing with them. I chose to deal with my agitated state by meditating. This is when we focus on being vs doing.

How can I meditate when I’ve got all these things to do?!

Meditation has the power to turn negative feelings into motivation. Start from a place of empathy - start by acknowledging your feelings.  Your breathing rate will slow down and you'll feel calmer. This will give you the pause you need to challenge and change your perspective. In my case, I realized that I did not need to do everything on my task list. I only needed to take care of my top priorities. Having a calmer mind made it much easier for me to take care of my priorities.

Are you being vs doing?

When you put aside doing for a moment and think about how you are being, this creates a space for you to pause and choose a healthier way to be. Then the doing

becomes easier because you’re less burdened by negative feelings.

How do you wish to be?