Just How Much to Strive, in a 'Busy' Life?

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life" says Socrates, one of the greatest philosophers of all time.

But how many of us take conscious efforts to free our lives from the self-imposed shackles of "I'm too busy to do this"?

There is a whole category of people who I've observed, who give their work precedence over everything else in life. Family can wait, friends can wait, their own desire for free time can wait. Their family will reprimand them to give them more time. Their friends will sulk at them not having the same old catch-up hangouts as before. Their own body will show them signs that they should not work so much. But no, "I HAVE to do this work, it is urgent, else some really bad outcomes await me."

What is all this work for? If you're a student you would want to study well, gain enough exposure through various activities and then get a good job. If you're a working professional, you would want to add value to your employer company through your work. Now that the crux of your work is identified, let's get into deep thought.

Lets imagine you stop existing.

Not you dying, just you not existing anymore.

What would result for the job market and/or your employer company?

If you're a student, your college will lose ONE student out of many. ONE revenue source gone. Your faculty has ONE less student to teach, and if you're the Head of some initiative like student council or club, chances are that a new Head will be selected, or the initiative will proceed in some way or the other as deemed fit. And the job market will have ONE less candidate. Hiring in the job market will continue the same as before; after all, in a sea of job applicants, the lack of one applicant really doesn't make much of a difference. Someone will definitely fit the requirements of the role.

If you're an employed professional, your company will quickly appoint someone new for your post. As said before, the job market will definitely have someone else who meets the needs and requirements of the job.

What would happen to your family and friends though? Your family will no longer have a member who they used to cherish and love wholeheartedly. Your friends will have lesser laughter, lesser companionship and lesser support. Will they find someone else with the same persona, same sense of humour or the same lovable traits and annoying habits? No.

At this moment ask yourself : when you're so replaceable for the job market and employer companies (irrespective of your calibre level), but irreplaceable for your family and friends, then why is it that your work replaces family time and friend time?

Under no circumstance am I telling you to only laze around with family and friends and not work. I just want to advocate balance in life. I do know that work directly or indirectly gives us a livelihood to sustain us, but the highest of livelihoods cannot give us the best of lives either if we focus too much on work. The human connection that we humans are biologically bound to require for a proper life, cannot be completely given by work. When you're alone with your thoughts, your work achievements will never satisfy the emptiness you feel due to a lack of human connection.

Family and friend time are important indeed, but also don't forget the importance of me-time. It gives you greater awareness of who you are, it helps clarify your thought process as it is just you and your thoughts with no other person's thoughts in the picture, and it also reduces stress when you use your me-time relaxing like pursuing hobby, listening to music , introspecting, meditating and many more.

Always remember : you are more than just a student or employee. You are a family member, a friend, and most importantly, your own person. This is why giving a good amount of time to the latter three entities, apart from your work, is way more beneficial than you think. After all, work fills your stomach, but a well-balanced life fills your soul.