Feeding Your Soul: Why I'm trying to not use the word "Busy" as a descriptor

I have a beef with the word "Busy" - it's a word I use to describe my life when people ask me what I've been up to but it doesn't actually describe anything, and it makes my life seem that it's outside of my control.

It's as though "busy" means that my life has been running me, instead of me running my life.

(Photo By: Moyan Brenn)

When someone asks me what I've been up to, I will try to respond: 
- I've been camping with some of our very best friends;
- My family and I attended every family program at the National Gallery last month;
- I've been cooking to stock the freezer to help reduce dinner-time stress;
- I had a picnic with my family and friends on the National Mall;
- I've been helping out our church with a new service project;
- I've been planning for the upcoming school year;
- I've been planning and creating our gardens;
- I've been helping with our scout troop;
- I took a walk to watch the sunset.

To just tell someone "I'm busy" doesn't express to them that the things I'm doing are intentionally chosen by me to feed my soul. They are activities and events that I deem as important to my family's growth and well-being.

Perhaps one of my favorite write-ups I've read about busy was by the NYTimes. You've probably read it before, as it came out a few years ago (I've even shared about it before); I feel, as fall is quickly approaching, it's an appropriate reminder to not be "busy," but be intentionally living.