“No, I can’t, I have work to do”
“Come on, the weather’s so nice – you need a break”
I remember my friends trying to convince me to go for a walk and an ice-cream and it was like pulling teeth for me. It’s because I used to feel guilty when I wasn’t working.
Why was I resisting so much? It came from multilayered beliefs that if I wasn’t working, then what value was I bringing to the world? It came from role model parents who were constantly working. It came from a need to prove myself and a lot more. It wasn’t enough to just be, I had been doing doing doing, working working working. Actually, I wasn’t a human being, I was a human doing.
Over the years, I’ve taken steps to address this. Having a little boy has helped with this immensely. There’s a time and place for everything, periods in your life where you can go full blast with work and times where you focus on other areas. Children are able to live in the present and enjoy the moment. Watching him has made me realize it’s important to enjoy the time together. It goes by so quickly.
Nowadays, I will happily go for an ice-cream and a walk and enjoy it guilt free. Having the balance of work makes it all the more enjoyable.
Do you enjoy your free time guilt free?