Take a Breath, Forget Busy
What really matters to you? What do you value? How do you infuse meaning into your life?
I read an article on CNN a while back about a town in Italy that is offering homes for sale for 1 Euro - you just have to pay to renovate it. The mayor of the town is trying to revive its industry, housing, and tourism by inviting folks from around the world to repopulate. If I ever disappear, you’ll know where to look for me...
If you’ve ever spent much time in Europe, especially in southern Europe, you know that these people do not live to work. They live, well, to live. And they live very full lives that are slower, more connected and dare I say, filled with more meaning than their American counterparts. I know first hand as I married a first generation American born Greek. We have returned to visit his father’s village a few times in our marriage, and each time I marvel at how they know what truly matters. I’ve broken it down to 5 “f”‘s - food, faith, family, friends and fun. I like to call it the “F” factor.
I know these things truly matter, more than fame, fortune and flamboyance- the other “f”’s - the ones we seem to be chasing here in the U. S.
During every Greek vacation we’ve ever had, I feel different. Of course, less stressed - as we’re on vacation - but I also feel happier, more balanced, more connected and at peace, especially in the “horio” (my father in law’s village). The people here are kind, simple yet passionate. They live this passion every day - sharing home cooked meals, sitting around the “platea” (town square), talking and connecting for hours, as the children play soccer in front of the church. They get to know one another, they share, they have each other’s back and they definitely believe in God. They are a spiritual people and it, too, is expressed in how they live their lives… they bless their food, their families and their friends. They stay connected to God and each other through prayer and attending daily church services. More than fame, fortune and flamboyance, they realize what it means to be “rich”.
In the U. S, at some point in the last century, it became cool to be “busy.” And in my opinion, with “busy,” we lost our way. We became disconnected from family, we became workaholics, more materialistic. We buried our emotions and became distracted - finding a myriad of ways to numb - Netflix, alcohol, video games, social media, food, drugs. In “busy” we stopped eating together as a family. In fact, we moved away from family, and in our loneliness we buried ourselves in 12 hour work days. In “busy”, we stopped cooking, eating most meals out. In “busy,” we lost our connection to God. We became cynical and distrusting of our neighbors, authority, our government. In “busy,” we became solitary creatures, anxious and depressed.
It’s time to slow down and take a breath. Let’s take a hint from our European cousins and let go of “busy.” It’s time we start to take inventory of our lives and add in more meaning, more connection, more home cooking, and a stronger connection to Source.
This past year has provided most of us some breathing room to assess what really matters. I’ve had more time at home, with my kids and husband, and dogs. I’ve had more time to garden and take bike rides and go for long walks. I’ve felt what it’s like to slow down and get still and reestablish a long lost connection with my intuition, and my connection with God.
I continue to work at keeping my pledge to dedicate more time to friends, family, food and my faith - the “f”’s that really matter, despite the many forces in our world that pull us away from this. I am reminded of how desperate I am to live this life. I want to live like a European, even if we don’t get the dollar Euro house in an Italian village.