In cancer, normal cells are hijacked by mutations. In our everyday life, we are hijacked by an unhealthy lifestyle and strenuous working conditions. Frequently, the result is a shorter life of poor quality.
Have you heard about the blue zones? These are places in the world where people live the longest and are less affected by chronic diseases of the Western world (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer). One of these blue zones is the Greek island of Icaria, where according to Dan Buettner, longevity could be explained by eight “secrets”: wild greens in the diet, herbal teas, low sense of time urgency (very few people wear watches), daily naps, mountain living that imposes a daily physical effort, strong sense of community, goat milk, and a diet that is a variation of the Mediterranean diet.
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| ICARIA |
Except for the quirky greens and goat milk, the rest is something that all of us could try to incorporate in our lives. However, the madness called career and the necessity to provide for our dependents impose a toll on our time, and therefore, on our health.
Why am I mentioning time? Because to enjoy our family, to be part of the community, to take daily naps, and to take the liberty to not wear a watch, depends on how much time we have and the priorities we have.
Why am I mentioning time? Because to enjoy our family, to be part of the community, to take daily naps, and to take the liberty to not wear a watch, depends on how much time we have and the priorities we have.
Frequently, the main choice is this between working to support our family or being with our family. I know that some will disagree: some of you are convinced that you love your family, and this is the reason to spend long hours away from it, at work. However, years from now, when you and your family look back, what exactly will be left to remember? Long days at work for you, and long hours of loneliness for your children? These poignant memories may also include a lump of negative emotions, with which the job stamped your everyday life.
Many days I have caught myself going home boiling with anger and frustration from work. It is rare to have time to set up a family dinner with love and attention that bonds my family over a healthy dish. Guilty as charged…my dinners may satisfy hunger, but evade the ultimate purpose of bringing my family together in a mindful closure of the day.
In addition to our fast-paced jobs, there are other insults that disrupt our individual and family life. Our children’s’ schools and extracurricular activities are the biggest culprits. During a class in Social Studies, my daughter and her classmates were asked to raise a hand if they had regular family dinners. Out of 20 children, only three raised their hands; I am proud to report that my daughter was one of the three children. The reasons for skipping dinner were different, but frequently the children stated that mom did not cook or the family could not get together because everyone had commitments. Extracurricular activities were the most frequent reason. In the “skip our family dinner” scenarios the dinner was frequently replaced by a “grab from fast food places.”
In addition to our fast-paced jobs, there are other insults that disrupt our individual and family life. Our children’s’ schools and extracurricular activities are the biggest culprits. During a class in Social Studies, my daughter and her classmates were asked to raise a hand if they had regular family dinners. Out of 20 children, only three raised their hands; I am proud to report that my daughter was one of the three children. The reasons for skipping dinner were different, but frequently the children stated that mom did not cook or the family could not get together because everyone had commitments. Extracurricular activities were the most frequent reason. In the “skip our family dinner” scenarios the dinner was frequently replaced by a “grab from fast food places.”
The realization that family dinners are disappearing is not novel. I personally struggle with putting dinner together after nine hours away from home. My only solution is the freezer that keeps portions of my weekend cooking efforts: a few soups, the occasional baked chicken, fish or beans. Even on weekends it is a struggle to fit all the required activities: cooking, cleaning, food shopping for next week, and taking care of numerous meaningless tasks that devour our time.The pace of life is imposed by us, our culture and our personality.
It seems that today, health and happier life depend on our ability to free the days from activities that do not matter. If I may re-phrase Kurt Vonnegut, this would be my daily payer “God grant me serenity to accept the time spent working to bring bread on the table, courage to invest in the meaningful work and purge the meaningless activities that clutter the daily life, and wisdom to always tell the difference.”
It seems that today, health and happier life depend on our ability to free the days from activities that do not matter. If I may re-phrase Kurt Vonnegut, this would be my daily payer “God grant me serenity to accept the time spent working to bring bread on the table, courage to invest in the meaningful work and purge the meaningless activities that clutter the daily life, and wisdom to always tell the difference.”
Achieving this “time intelligence” will help me in slowing down. Considering that the pace of life is imposed also by the society, achieving my goal would depend upon similar behavioral and psychological changes in everyone around me.
Actionable
Can you oppose the never-ending rush? It is time to slow down – Dalai Lama said, “Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.” Would you enjoy looking back and re-living your everyday stress and the breathless dash through a life hijacked by unhealthy habits and meaningless work? Would you enjoy your wrecked by diseases body and soul? Would you enjoy witnessing your children succeed in their career and yet, becoming as miserable as you? It is time to become TIME INTELLIGENT. Maybe you could start the change with a family dinner?
Actionable
Can you oppose the never-ending rush? It is time to slow down – Dalai Lama said, “Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.” Would you enjoy looking back and re-living your everyday stress and the breathless dash through a life hijacked by unhealthy habits and meaningless work? Would you enjoy your wrecked by diseases body and soul? Would you enjoy witnessing your children succeed in their career and yet, becoming as miserable as you? It is time to become TIME INTELLIGENT. Maybe you could start the change with a family dinner?
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