Popcorn

One of the ways to cope with our worlds feeling like they are falling apart is to focus. Narrow the number of people and issues we care about. Turn off the news. Turn off the phone. Work harder. Throw yourself into something that requires all your focus.

Busyness is a form of anti-depressant. A way of dealing when things are too hard to deal with.

When I stopped working four years ago, I stopped being busy. I became 'the guy with time'. Less money because the paychecks stopped, but more time. My intention was to put the effort I had put into building client relationships and growing businesses, into deepening friendships and strengthening my ability to deal with the challenges of life. To contribute in a non-financial way.

A result of this is that I have largely let go of 'the escape hatch'. In a world with multiple exit points, there is normally a door to run for. I don't run. But, what this means is that I am surrounded by popcorn. The way a friend recently described many of the things going on around me. I am not at all unique in this way. The difference is that busyness anti-depressant is no longer in my medicine cabinet.

I don't have the answer to this. It is something I am wrestling with. My sense is that in general we are too busy, and that is why the corn is popping. My sense is that we don't always put the work in, in time, on the things that matter, in order to stop the pop.