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CloseRyan Sim - September 23, 2013
Monday - A New Idea - Neighbours to Acquaintances
When people ask you how you’re doing – have you every included the word “busy” in your answer? One NY Times article called “The Busy Trap” that went viral commented, “It’s become the default response when you ask anyone how they’re doing: “Busy!” “So busy.” “Crazy busy.”” Notice it isn’t generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the I.C.U. or commuting by bus to three minimum-wage jobs who tell you how busy they are; what those people are is not busy but tired. Exhausted. Dead on their feet. It’s almost always people whose lamented busyness is purely self-imposed: work and obligations they’ve taken on voluntarily, classes and activities they’ve “encouraged” their kids to participate in. They’re busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they’re addicted to busyness and dread what they might have to face in its absence. Yes, for most of us, busyness is a choice, and we kind of like it! But what are its consequences? One psychiatrist listed a few: It is so easy with cellphones and BlackBerrys a touch away. It is a kind of high. It is a status symbol. We’re afraid we’ll be left out if we slow down. We avoid dealing with life’s really big issues — death, global warming, AIDS, terrorism — by running from task to task. We do not know how not to be busy. There are many, but we’ll focus today on the consequence for our neighbours, since Jesus said this was so important. When I first moved to Ajax, it naturally took a little time to meet all our neighbours. Most memorably, two distinct families said the same thing when they met us. One said, “I’m really sorry we’re just meeting you, I had made cakepops for you guys, but then got too busy to bring them over.” Another said the same thing, “my wife was going to bake a pie to welcome you, but we got too busy.” It’s heartbreaking – firstly because I could have had some excellent desserts, but also because it’s obvious how hectic our lifestyles can be, and how it inhibits forming lifegiving relationships. Question: On a scale from 1 to 10 how busy is your life right now?
Related Topics: Busy, Distractions, Neighbours | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Won't You Be My Neighbour?"
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer SpiritMay 16, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PeopleMay 19, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PeopleMay 20, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PeopleMay 21, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer PeopleMay 22, 2014 |
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Friday - Act On It - Pioneer PeopleMay 23, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PracticesMay 26, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PracticesMay 27, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PracticesMay 28, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer PracticesMay 29, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PracticesMay 30, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PreachingJune 2, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PreachingJune 3, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PreachingJune 4, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PreachingJune 6, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PushbackJune 9, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PushbackJune 10, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PushbackJune 11, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer PushbackJune 12, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PushbackJune 13, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer ProofJune 16, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer ProofJune 17, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer ProofJune 18, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer ProofJune 19, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer ProofJune 20, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PrioritiesJune 23, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PrioritiesJune 24, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PrioritiesJune 25, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer PrioritiesJune 26, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PrioritiesJune 27, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PainJune 30, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PainJuly 1, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PainJuly 2, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer PainJuly 3, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PainJuly 4, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PlayersJuly 7, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PlayersJuly 8, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PlayersJuly 9, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer PlayersJuly 10, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PlayersJuly 11, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer ProgressJuly 14, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer ProgressJuly 15, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer ProgressJuly 16, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer ProgressJuly 17, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer ProgressJuly 18, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer ProdigyJuly 21, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer ProdigyJuly 22, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer ProdigyJuly 23, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer ProdigyJuly 24, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer ProdigyJuly 25, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PorkJuly 28, 2014 |
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Tuesday- Study It - Pioneer PorkJuly 29, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer PorkJuly 30, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer PorkJuly 31, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PorkAugust 1, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers And PagansAugust 4, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers And PagansAugust 5, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers And PagansAugust 6, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers And PagansAugust 7, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and PagansAugust 8, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers And PrerequisitesAugust 11, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers And PrerequisitesAugust 12, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers And PrerequisitesAugust 13, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers And PrerequisitesAugust 14, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and PrerequisitesAugust 15, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers and PoliticsAugust 18, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers and PoliticsAugust 19, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers and PoliticsAugust 20, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers and PoliticsAugust 21, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and PoliticsAugust 22, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers and PhilosophersAugust 25, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers and PhilosophersAugust 26, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers and PhilosophersAugust 27, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers and PhilosophersAugust 28, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and PhilosophersAugust 29, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers and ProfitSeptember 1, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers and ProfitSeptember 2, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers and ProfitSeptember 3, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and ProfitSeptember 5, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers and PowerSeptember 8, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer PotentialSeptember 15, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer PotentialSeptember 16, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - Pioneer PotentialSeptember 19, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - ShepherdSeptember 23, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - ShepherdSeptember 24, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - ShepherdSeptember 26, 2014 |
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Monday - A New Idea - RevolutionarySeptember 29, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - RevolutionarySeptember 30, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - RevolutionaryOctober 3, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - TeacherOctober 7, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - TeacherOctober 8, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - TeacherOctober 9, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - TeacherOctober 10, 2014 |
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Tuesday - Study It - ForgiverOctober 14, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - ForgiverOctober 15, 2014 |
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Friday - Reflect - ForgiverOctober 17, 2014 |
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Wednesday - Change It - FoundationOctober 22, 2014 |
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Thursday - Act On It - FoundationOctober 23, 2014 |
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