Soon, he s hungry again, because there is always someone else who needs our help. Ultimately, in our excessive busyness, we do violence to ourselves and others. As we burn out, we cause more suffering as the flames of our self-immolation scorch those around us. By not stopping to rest and renew, we simply bring more chaos and violence to the world, as we rush in to help, sometimes doing more harm than good. We are more likely to judge things poorly when we are exhausted or rushing.
Good judgment requires deep listening.
We cannot bring to others the peace we do not have within ourselves. But it s difficult. The degree of our busyness has become a badge of honor. A colleague noted recently that work-aholism is our last socially accepted addiction. We condemn addictions to alcohol, tobacco, drugs, food and sex, and yet we excuse or even praise and reward those who work 50 and 60 hours per week.