The Disease of Being Busy by Omid Safi, recipient of the 2009 Teaching Award for Professor of the Year at Duke University:
I saw a dear friend a few days ago. I stopped by to ask her how she was doing, how her family was. She looked up, voice lowered, and just whimpered: “I’m so busy… I am so busy… have so much going on.” Almost immediately after, I ran into another friend and asked him how he was. Again, same tone, same response: “I’m just so busy… got so much to do.” The tone was exacerbated, tired, even overwhelmed.
…How did we end up living like this? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we do this to our children? When did we forget that we are human beings, not human doings?
…In many Muslim cultures, when you want to ask them how they’re doing, you ask: in Arabic, Kayf haal-ik? or, in Persian, Haal-e shomaa chetoreh? How is your haal? What is this haal that you inquire about? It is the transient state of one’s heart. In reality, we ask, “How is your heart doing at this very moment, at this breath?” When I ask, “How are you?” that is really what I want to know…
Don’t miss his entire post @ The Disease of Being Busy
or his follow-on post titled: The Thief of Intimacy, Busyness
Image Source: Duke University
Live & Learn 
What a better question to pose – for it makes one stop and consider. There is no ‘pat’ answer – how is one’s heart at any moment in time?
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Yes. And loved his finish:
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Yes!! I”m actually going to start doing this and am curious to see what happens..
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The outcome will be worthy of a post. We’ll be waiting friend.
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Have to answered “How are you” with “I’m so busy!”?
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I find when I answer “I’m fine” or “I’m well” to the question “how are you?”, people will often then ask “but are you busy?”. Sigh.
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Smiling. Love the close (sigh). So true.
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Your thought reminds me of his follow-on piece:
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Thank you for introducing me to this man’s writings.
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i really, really love this. getting back to what matters and what is real – ‘how is your heart, at this very moment?’ – as opposed to ‘what is the state of the union?’
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Yes….
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I am perpetually busy — but I give the busy comment to those whom I don’t really care to engage with – or whom I know don’t care much about my response 🙂
Here’s to a day of nothing … MJ
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Smiling. Love the candor and authenticity as always MJ. (Me too!)
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This disease seems to have infected most of us
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Certainly me….
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Reblogged this on simple cherishes and commented:
Beautiful reminder – how is your heart doing today, dear?
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Thank you David – beautiful reading on a Saturday – like his second piece too: http://www.onbeing.org/blog/the-thief-of-intimacy-busyness/7031
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Ahhhh, thanks Sylvia. I missed it. Great follow-on piece. Thanks so much for sharing.
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“How is your heart doing at this very moment, at this breath?” a beautiful question
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I also have found it is the “identity” and “validation” of busyness that we attach to the most. These are wise words from Omid Safi.
I have started teaching meditation classes and for some it is their first time in stillness and their first time considering they have a heart. So yes! let us ask these questions to each other and help remind us what is important. Great post David.
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Thanks Karen. Look forward to reaching about your meditation coaching tips on your blog. As I certainly haven’t found it…
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Thanks David, I am working on downloading a guided meditation on my post soon.
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I’m one of those “try to do it all” people. How many times have my kids and grandchildren heard me say “I’m soooooooo busy”…and yet, I try to listen to my heart, I know what is important…but I can’t get away from being sooooooo busy. 😦
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Smiling, many of us share the same affliction. I’m seeing a glimmer of light, a glimmer.
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You are??? I’m happy to hear that. I actually am seeing a glimmer of light too…hoping next year will be different and less stressful. Life changes are on the horizon. 🙂
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Laughing. Yes I am. A glimmer, that is. Glad to hear that life changes are coming for you!
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Omg…not too long ago, at a work potluck I was across from a colleague who always seems to want to to win the busy war. Her sighs and eye rolls and litanies of how much she has to do eclipses all else. I made a comment – a general comment – about how *some people* seem to want to win the busy battle and to them I say, the victory is all yours, I really don’t want to win that!! I don’t think she read between my not so subtle lines, but it occurred to me that day, that I’d rather know how a person *is* much more than what is on their to-do list. We are all busy…that’s a fact, but what do we win if we win the busy battle?
Exactly.
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Smiling. Exactly. Exactly. Right there.
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Reblogged this on Compassion Changes and commented:
When did we get so busy?
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