It fascinates me how busy most people are.
Busy, busy, busy bees.
As soon as the alarm clock goes off in the morning, it’s off to the races to get things done.
Work meetings. Personal meetings. Phone calls. Lunch dates. Coffee chats. Deadlines. Yoga class. Appointments. Errands. And on and on.
We live busy lives.
“Crazy busy!” “Super busy.” “Non-stop.”—just a few key phrases I’ve heard this week alone from a handful of people who are, daily, taking deep breaths to try to keep the madness sane.
If I had a nickel for every time I heard one of these phrases (or said one of these phrases myself), I’d be a rich woman.
Can you relate?
This annoying busyness (I’m guilty of it too) really struck a chord with me the other day. I texted a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in quite some time. We live in the same city, gosh darn it, but due to the busy to-dos of daily life, checklists and fleeting days, we just haven’t been able to hang out in awhile.
I texted this friend to let her know I was thinking about her: “Hey there! How are you? Coffee or walk this week?”
To which she responded: “I’m kind of busy. Working, working out, then working, travel…”
Point taken: Busy.
Later that day, I attempted to connect with another friend of mine on the phone for a catch-up chat after going about 2-months without catching up.
I called her. Voicemail.
She called me while I was in a meeting. Voicemail.
I texted her: Times that work for you?
She texted me back: 30 minutes?
I texted her: Sorry, in a session at that time. An hour?
She texted me: Arg, I’ll be in a meeting then!
Point taken: Busy.
While being busy most certainly makes life exciting (never a dull moment!), it also can make life a bit stressful at times, and even downright, exhausting!’
Later that evening around 9 p.m., I, myself, was forlorn from my own version of a ‘busy day’ (non-stop to-dos and schedule), I ran by the grocery store to pick up some of my new favorite veggie I am all about (Rainbow Chard!—recipe below), to whip up with dinner.
Pretty exhausted after a fun (but long) day, I merely saw the pit-stop as one more to-do on my checklist for the day, and rushed inside to grab and go. As I walked in however, I noticed Shelton*, the store’s security guard, standing to the side of the entry door.
“Hello miss, how are you tonight?” he said with a warm smile, from ear to ear, and genuine interest to hear my response.
Taken aback, having been a woman on a mission to get my Chard and get outta there, I responded, “Why hello! Hi, yes, I’m well. Thanks so much. How are you?”
“Mighty fine,” he said right back, smiling even bigger. “It’s been a blessed day.”
“Yes sir! You keeping an eye on things?” I responded.
“Yes, yes indeed. It’s my pleasure to do so,” he said.
“Thank-you for all you do. You have a good night!”
“You do the same miss,” he said.
And at that, I continued on my merry hunt for my Chard, but with a little bit of added spring in my step…and smile myself on my face.
You see, Shelton the security guard, is at Central Market most days. He works longer hours, patrolling the parking lots, greeting customers at the door, ensuring everyone walks safely to their car, sitting on the park benches outside, keeping an eye on the place. He’s always there. He’s always there with a smile on his face. A genuine smile.
Never underestimate the power of a smile.
As I finished my quick shopping trip up, I made it my intention to smile and greet others in the store, as if I knew them. Not a complete stranger, but someone who they had met before, someone who genuinely cared about them.
And as crazy as it may sound, I swear I had eight people, eight strangers, I smiled and greeted, first (a.) give me a double take and funny odd look, and then (b.) smile right back.
Smiles are contagious! And in the midst of a “super busy” day, the power of a smile was enough to slow me down and remind me that…our day to day lives are not about our comings and goings; not about our ‘next thing’ or never-ending to-do list.
Our day-to-day lives are about experiencing the moments, connecting with people, and making the most of where we are today.
In the blink of an eye, the days life passes us by, and if we are not attune to the moment at hand, we fall into the trap of living to the ‘next things.
On a side note: here are a cool fun facts about the power of a smile AND my Super Simple Rainbow Chard recipe!
Smiling=Natural stress relief. Our bodies release endorphins when you smile, even when you force it. This sudden change in mood helps us feel better and release stress.
Brain & Body Booster. Psychologists have found that even if you’re in bad mood, you can instantly lift your spirits by forcing yourself to smile. In addition, smiling can improve your physical health, too. Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system.
Babies are born with the ability to smile. Babies learn a lot of behaviors and sounds from watching the people around them, but scientists believe that all babies are born with the ability, since even blind babies smile. In fact, babies start smiling in their sleep as soon as they’re born.
Smiles are the new makeup. A research study conducted by Orbit Complete discovered that nearly 70% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup.
Recipe: Rainbow Chard
So I’ve been on a new kick lately: Rainbow Chard!
Haven’t tried it? You can find it near the leafy greens in the produce aisle. So delicious and super easy peasy to make!
Here’s my go-to stove top sautéed Rainbow Chard recipe:
Ingredients:
1 head Rainbow Chard
Sea salt, pepper
½ TBSP coconut oil
¼ cup water
Directions
- Thoroughly wash and dry Chard
- Turn stovetop pan on to medium heat and melt coconut oil in it
- Shred Chard with hands and place leaves into pan
- Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and splash of water
- Cover with pan lid and let sautee for about 4-5 minu, until nice and ‘wilted’ looking
- Serve alongside dinner!
Why Chard? Move over spinach, Chard is the ‘new orange’ (or is it ‘orange is the new black’?). it is different, but still offers a nutritional bang like its superfood counterpart. Vitamins A and K to be exact, as well as Iron, Vitamin C and E. (ie. you will basically feel like Popeye!)