From Tyranny of Tasks to Revitalising via Relationships

So many of us have busy lives—like crazy busy; and not by choice other than a string of choices we can now not undo. And why would we? Would we undo being a husband or wife; a father or mother; a servant of God; a faithful employee? No, most of our roles we love—in their compartments. But when several roles collide at the same time we’re forgiven for prioritising the tasks over the relationships that are the foundation of all the tasks.

Let’s get one thing straight—we are human beings, not human doings.

Old cliché but a true one, that.

But let’s take it to another level. Some receive more comfort in being allowed to do their tasks in peace. Others receive their comfort from being free enough, time-wise, to connect. Over all this is this simple fact:

We all need to connect and we need space in our busy schedules to do it.

To connect is to recharge, but not with any true intention of recharging.

Reconnection is the mode of plugging back into our world, as if we have for a little time strayed from our central purpose.

True connection in these ways always involves people, but if we have too much ‘people’ or too many tasks we easily fall foul of the drone of living death—no life at all. We face the ballistic nature of burn-out.

True connection is the space with which to operate.

We find space to be with people, so we can love and be loved back.

This is why relationships are crucial to the whole development of the whole person—them, us, we, me and you.

The tyranny of tasks is a hollow reality when we come to the end of ourselves, finally. Then we know we have missed the point. Sure, we got things done; but what was the cost? We became distant to the ones we truly cared about.

Wisdom commands us to listen: be happily unbalanced in life—do the tasks—but don’t do them to the detriment of self by isolating oneself from the love, support and encouragement of others.

***

The way we become revitalised for life is to love and be loved. We try a million other ways, but there’s no escaping the fact we need connection. Achieving task upon project upon deadline won’t cut it. It leaves us dry. God implores us: “Don’t go that way!” Instead, the opportunity is for relationship; for connection within the quietness of gentle love; one that soothes and massages our emotive senses and revives us spiritually.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.