I think one of the most dangerous diseases today is busy-ness. The inability to stop and appreciate the moment, to be truly present with another person, or to witness the beauty and preciousness of life.

Most people are so busy that their nervous systems are freaked out from constantly being in survival mode. The baseline of stress at which most people operate is slowly sapping vital energy, creating disease, and sucking the joy out of life.

Now dont get me wrong, this is a completely understandable predicament. The structure of the global economy and what we see on the media makes it seem like we have to push, push, push, just to get by. People are judged by, and applauded for, how hard they work. It seems like we have to work ourselves to exhaustion to earn the right to be loved, to have friends, to have a home and food and clothing rather than these being the basic human rights to which we are all entitled. In the quest for making a living, we have forgotten how to live.

But this is not our natural state. If you want to learn how humans are meant to live, observe children. They can appreciate everything, however large or small. They can work with supreme dedication at a task that inspires them until it is complete. But then they take a nap, or run outside, or play a game.

Children contain the intrinsic knowledge of balance. Knowing when to work hard, and when to observe and absorb. When to rest, when to eat, and when to play. A child can become so immersed in watching a ladybug crawl on a leaf that the whole world stops, and its just her and the bug. We need to remember that power of connection, that level of absolute presence.

How much of your time do you spend doing things that are really important to you?

How much of your busy-ness is productively supporting your passion and purpose, your health, or the health of you community and planet? Are there times when working is actually not as important as having dinner with your family, playing ball with your kids, or going for a walk in nature? Are you sacrificing what you have for some fantasy of what you think you want?

What if you just stop?

Thats right, just do less. Each morning, take time to meditate, stretch, and make careful choices about how you will spend your day. If you work for someone else on a set schedule, devote as much of the rest of your time as you can to being with your loved ones, and doing the things you truly love to do. If you work for yourself, choose the few most important work tasks for that day, and devote time cultivating your passions, your health, and your relationships. And above all, remember to rest and play.

Learn to live in the moment. Cultivate appreciation and deep presence. Give up busy-ness for purpose and connection, so we dont merely survive, but actually thrive. I dare you to stop, turn off the computer for a moment, and imagine how your thrive mode looks and feels. What does it means for you to truly enjoy this life, right now, just as it is.