I'm busy. I'm SO busy. I don't have time to read, to date, to walk, to eat, to sleep, to play.
I'm just too busy.
I'm sure many of you, like me, hear similar excuses all the time. If you're like me, you find the alibis a bit irritating.
Face it, we are all busy. Most of us are often tired. We all have different excuses; we all have different jobs, schedules and responsibilities. Whether you are a doctor, teacher, nurse, long-haul truck driver, CEO, factory worker, or any number of taxing occupations, our schedules can be consuming.
But it's all relative, and it's often about determination and setting priorities.
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I used to complain about being busy when I was in my 20s. I was working a lot, and I sat on a few boards and committees. I volunteered, exercised, socialized and often felt like I was being pulled in a dozen different directions. Then I had kids, and I realized I did not know what busy meant. But at the time, I felt and believed that I was really busy. I was wrong.
A few years ago I was at a family reunion. I was up late with my cousins (whom I love dearly) and we got on the topic of working out. One cousin emphatically told me she just had absolutely no time to exercise regularly. "I don't know how you have time to train for a marathon. I am just beyond busy with the kids and work, etc."
My message to her is that we make time for the things that are important to us. She may not have had time to train, but she was able to find time for wine club, movie club and going out with friends. Those are fantastic activities, but they are no more or less important than another's, and I don't believe they have anything to do with being busier than someone else.
The truth is no matter how busy you are, you will find the time for the things that are important to you. If it's important that you get out to the bar with your friends you'll make it happen. If it's important you get in 18 holes of golf this weekend, it will happen. If it's important you have lake time, it will happen. If it's important you get to your son's baseball game, it will happen. If it's important you see the next episode of Dancing with the Stars ... you get what I'm saying.
The next time you feel like complaining about how busy you are just remember the person you're complaining to is most likely just as busy. It might help to think of the people you know who truly do have more on their plate, but still find time to manage their lives. Without complaining.
Michelle Turnberg writes a weekly column for SheSays. She can be reached at .
