By Alexandra Stefanis
Do you ever find yourself saying you’re too busy? Are you too busy to see your friends, call your parents, hit the gym, or read that book you’ve been thinking about for months?
I certainly do, and I know how isolating it can be to be too busy for the simple things in life. Sometime during the last year, I went from attending campus events and grabbing coffee with close friends to short phone calls and long nights alone in the library trying to catch up on my latest assignments, and that sucked.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has felt the isolating weight of busyness here at Wake. But have you ever stopped to think about what you’re busy with? I’ve found that since being a student, I make mountains out of the smallest thing–even writing this now has kept me busy for way longer than it should have–rather than taking the time to see the small things for what they are. I avoid saying yes when I should because the pile of small things overwhelms me.
Think about one thing you’ve said no to this week because you were too busy with small things. Ten years from now, when college is a memory, what will you remember: the reading assignment that took an hour to finish or the day you spent hiking with your friends? Is there one no that could have been a yes?
Sure, being busy comes with the territory of being a student, but so does having fun, experiencing life through new lenses, and having great experiences. It isn’t all about being stressed to the point of burning out. So this week, experiment with the art of saying yes. Say yes to something that will enrich your life, and add a blessing to your busyness rather than a burden. You never know where it might take you.