What’s on Your "To Be" list

Recent conversations have elevated my awareness of just how busy most of us our. There seems to exist some invisible code within our culture that prompts to fill every single minute with activity and if at all possible multiple activities. Cell phones, text messaging and wi-fi around every corner has also made us constantly interruptible. The result…being focused and present have become very difficult. In fact, being a human “being” and not a human “doing” is a counter cultural challenge.

I am as guilty as anyone. I tend to get out of bed and generate an unachievable “to do” list. Often times far into the day I check my list and find that I have hardly touched the things that seemed so important when it was generated. I highlight, underline, and circle to indicate things complete, missed our partially initiated. Whatever doesn’t get complete carries over to another day. On the rare days I do manage to pull off my list, I find myself following my stellar performance with a lack luster day of immobility or weariness from over extending myself. Does any of this sound all to familiar.

Weary of being a human doing and missing the joy of being, I have taken on a new tact. I have made a “to be” list for the day. Ironically my first “to be” list was unachievably long and I hardly touched any of it. Imagine that. I went after my way of being just as I would my doing. I have trimmed my list down, but before sharing it, just what is a “to be” list. My to be list is an inventory of how I would like to live my life for the day in terms of who I am and what I emulate in my actions. It says something about the nature and identity of who I am as a person. It helps me be mindful of the types of things that are important when all is said and done.

My “to be” list for today was as follows:

• be a blessing
• joyful
• thankful
• be mindful of the rhythm of the day
• be positive

Nothing terrible earth shattering, but imagine how it would shake the world if we all where focused on being those types of things.

My list seemed to reorient my day. My list was an evaluatory lens for my doing. I found myself during my prayer time out at my sit spot in the woods moved to moments of just quiet. I would go to speak and words would seems so hollow or avoid me all together. But in there absence was a great deal of piece. I found myself just being with God. I cannot quantify how this relates to my “to be” list, but I have no doubt that there is a distinct connection.

My “to be” list seemed to bring to my day a sense of mindfulness which gave each moment greater fullness. I still have my “to do” list and yes it is highlighted, marked and a few things will carry over to another day. I am going let the to co-habitat on a page in the little purple notebook I tote with me for awhile. I anticipate trying to reconcile the two with one another here in the near future. For now though it is enough to have an intent of who I will be each day. As I live into being better at being, I also anticipate that much of my busy-ness will give way to quietness and being just as the words of my prayer did today.

Once again blessings to you from the Practical Disciple.