Demanding people, last minute requests, intrusive phone calls, guilt-laden responses to others' appeals keep us constantly reacting and concentrating on surviving rather than truly living. Busyness is a virtue in our culture. We admire people who are able to handle gargantuan work loads. We call it convenience, and there is no doubt that many modern conveniences have made some of the mundane duties of life more tolerable. But there is a subtle programming that goes on at the same time.
Modern technology is another cause of our busyness.
While technology has promised us more leisure time, it has actually made it harder for us to relax. Cellular phones, fax machines and lap-top computers enable us to do something every minute of the day. Often we find ourselves out of breath because of the unrealistic expectations we have of ourselves, the desire to feel important and needed, and the need for security. Sometimes we take on too much because of our drive for perfection. Often, we are motivated by low self-esteem, thinking that the more we do, the better we will feel about ourselves.