Here are just a few things I would like to do as of now:
- book a trip to Argentina
- book a trip to New Orleans
- help my daughters in every way possible
- help my daughters without bugging them
- book a trip anywhere
- lose ten pounds
- mow the lawn
- fix a good dinner – for a nice change of pace
- finish my book
- eat a good dinner elsewhere
- get the laundry done
- volunteer
- volunteer
- volunteer, yeah three times – once for each organization
- make a mean salad with crabmeat, greens, gruyere, and honey balsamic vinaigrette
- oh, and volunteer
- makeover my bedroom
- be there for my husband
- be there for my friends
- know when to be there for my friends
- know when to be there for my husband – I know when that is – after 40 years we both can make that perfectly clear
- shred the pounds of stuff in my office that needs shredding
- read “Anna Karenina” once and for all
- go on another wine trip with my daughters
- bake healthy cookies
And this is just the start! A few years ago I retired – well, semi anyway. I thought I would have some time to do things. Hah! Maybe it’s because I do things that I don’t have time…or something like that.
I am overwhelmed. Google’s definition of overwhelmed involves three interpretations of the word:
- bury or drown beneath a huge mass
- defeat completely
- give too much of a thing to (someone); inundate
Being buried or drowned is not a good thing. Nor is being defeated, completely defeated.
We are all guilty of it. At least most of the people I know. The first thing a person says when you see them again after a long period and you ask how they are has to do with being busy. “I am just so busy” or “Life is crazy right now.” We never stop. We always have lists, plans, agendas, to-do lists, goals, and schedules. But after all that stuff, the rushing, the planning, the doing, where are we? Have we gotten what we wanted? Or even more of a question – did we know what it actually was that we wanted. Or right now – do we know what it is that we want?
Oh sure, when I finally get to visit my daughter in Argentina after I make the plans to do so I will be very happy. And when I finally finish my book I will feel a great sense of accomplishment. But then, after Argentina will I sit back and enjoy the memories? Or will I rush to the next thing? After my last sentence is complete in my story what then? Will I let myself enjoy the achievement of finishing an actual book? Or will I be hard on myself and criticize every little sentence I wrote?
Therefore, I choose the last definition of overwhelmed. “Give too much of a thing to (someone), inundated.” I interpret “someone” as being me. I also withdraw the “too” from “Give much of a thing”. And in this instance I narrow “a thing” to the most important thing, life. This makes the definition “Give much of life to me.”
So, let’s make that the new definition of overwhelm, give much of life to me. I want to stop feeling buried or drowned by all these things to do. I choose to feel inundated, overwhelmed by much of life – given to me.
Donuts & Wine 