"The Disease of Being Busy," by Omid Safi

One of the best sites on the internet is On Being with Krista Tippet--in which she interviews a wide variety of people, including the Dalai Lama, musicians, scholars, writers (including Mary Oliver) and practitioners of various faith traditions. These interviews are often what I listen to at night before bed.

There are also great blog entries on this site, including this one by Omid Safi: "The Disease of Being Busy."  He writes about the busy-ness of American families, in which even children are so scheduled that there is little time to just be still--and even a little bored.  Americans of all ages, he says, are so attached to our devices that we are often trying to do more than one thing at a time, all the time.  And he writes about the "avalanche of emails" that always make him feel like he can't keep up.

Here is a snippet of the essay:

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.

I am not asking how many items are on your to-do list, nor asking how many items are in your inbox. I want to know how your heart is doing, at this very moment. Tell me. Tell me your heart is joyous, tell me your heart is aching, tell me your heart is sad, tell me your heart craves a human touch. Examine your own heart, explore your soul, and then tell me something about your heart and your soul.

Tell me you remember you are still a human being, not just a human doing. Tell me you’re more than just a machine, checking off items from your to-do list. Have that conversation, that glance, that touch. Be a healing conversation, one filled with grace and presence.