Human Being or Doing?

Posted on June 6, 2008 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Productivity

Photo by Ala A very patient friend was watching me over her cup of coffee as a complained about how far behind I had gotten while there were visitors in the house. She waited until I was out of breath, then delivered a one-liner that floored me. “Are you a human being, or a human doing?”

We’ve all heard the quote before. But in the midst of tweaking our productivity, have we lost sight of what we are aiming for? I want go get a lot done, but the reason is so that I can spend time being with the people and animals I care about.

Drawing the Line

At some point I have to draw the line. The to-do list must be limited in such a way that I do not miss my daughter’s childhood, or the precious moments where we sit and color, or blow bubbles, or look for four-leaf clovers.

It all boils down to being aware of what I am doing, and being alive in the world.

Photo by Ala