We live in a culture that values busyness. We're constantly bombarded with messages telling us we need to be more productive, efficient, and accomplished. But what if busyness isn't a sign of productivity or success? What if it's a form of moral laziness?
The idea that busyness is moral laziness is not a new one. The Desert Fathers, a group of early Christian monks, were known for their belief that busyness was a way of avoiding the hard work of spiritual growth. They believed that when we're constantly busy, we don't have time to focus on the things that really matter, like prayer, meditation, and relationships.
There are a few reasons why busyness can be seen as a form of moral laziness. First, busyness can be a way of avoiding our true selves. We don't have time to sit with our thoughts and feelings when we're constantly busy. We don't have time to ask ourselves the hard questions about our lives. We don't have time to deal with our pain and our fears.
Second, busyness can be a way of avoiding our relationships. When we're constantly busy, we don't have time to be present with the people we care about. We don't have time to listen to them. We don't have time to support them. We don't have time to love them.
Third, busyness can be a way of avoiding our responsibilities. When we're constantly busy, we don't have time to care for our bodies, minds, and souls. We don't have time to cook healthy meals. We don't have time to exercise. We don't have time to meditate or pray.
So, what's the alternative to busyness that starts to press into moral laziness? Is it possible to be productive and successful without being so busy that we avoid ourselves, relationships, and responsibilities? We believe it is. We believe there is just enough time to do what we need to do moment by moment to respond to and to be present with the people, gifts, and responsibilities in our lives.
Of course, this doesn't mean that we'll never be busy. There will be times when we have a lot to do. But the key is to keep busyness from becoming our default setting, which causes us to neglect ourselves, the people, and the world around us. The key is to be intentional about our time. The key is to choose to lean into the good tension of proactively working on sorting, prioritizing, and attending to all the gifts, relationships, and experiences that make this human experience and journey impactful and meaningful.
How to Break the Cycle of Busyness Gone To Far
If you're ready to break the cycle of busyness, here are a few things you can do:
Start by asking yourself why you're so busy. What are you trying to achieve by being so busy? Are you trying to impress people? Are you trying to avoid your problems? Once you understand your motivations, you can start to make changes.
Learn To Say No. It's okay to say no to invitations, requests, and commitments. You don't have to do everything that comes your way.
Prioritize Your Time And Efforts. Decide what's most important to facilitating your self-actualization and caring for the gifts - friends, family, mind, body, and spirit - that surround you. This is and will always be a challenging both worthwhile task.
Take Care of Yourself. Ensure you get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and exercise regularly. When you take care of yourself, you're honoring and attending to the only body you'll have to carry you through this human journey.
Be Present. When you're with people, be present with them. Put away your phone and give them your full attention.
Meditate or Pray. Taking time each day to meditate or pray can help you slow down and be more mindful of your time and where you ought to place effort.
Breaking the cycle of negative busyness takes time and effort, but it's worth it. At The Conduit, we understand busyness, but we also know that that busyness cannot supersede our responsibility to serve, care for, and come alongside our members.
In our 24/7, always-on culture, it can be easy to fall into the trap of endless productivity. We feel like we have to be constantly doing something, or else we're not being productive enough. But this kind of lifestyle is unsustainable in the long run. It leads to burnout, stress, and a loss of joy and meaning in life.
Instead of endless productivity, The Conduit staff practices a rhythm of work and rest. This means that we intentionally set aside and protect the time for both work and rest to attend to our need to grow in all dimensions of being human: heart, soul, mind, and body.
Here are some of the benefits of practicing a rhythm of work and rest:
Increased productivity: When well-rested, you're more focused, creative, and efficient. This means that you can get more done in less time.
Improved health: Rest helps to reduce stress, improve your mood, and boost your immune system. This means that you'll be physically and emotionally healthier overall.
Greater sense of well-being: When you practice a rhythm of work and rest, you'll feel more fulfilled and satisfied with your life. You'll have more energy, more creativity, and more joy.
How do you create a rhythm of work and rest that works for you? Here are a few tips:
Set boundaries. One of the most important things you can do is set boundaries between your work and personal time. This means not checking work emails or taking work calls outside of work hours. It also means setting aside time for activities you enjoy, such as spending time with loved ones, reading, or walking.
Listen to your body. Pay attention to how you're feeling throughout the day. If you're feeling tired, stressed, or overwhelmed, it's time to take a break. Don't wait until you're feeling burned out before you rest.
Be flexible. Your rhythm of work and rest may need to change depending on your circumstances or season of life. For example, you may need to take more breaks if you have a busy week. Or, if you're going through a stressful time, you may need to give yourself more time to rest.
In addition to practicing a healthy work and rest rhythm, attending to your need to grow in all dimensions of being human is essential. This means taking care of your physical health, your emotional health, your mental health, and your spiritual health.
Physical health: This includes eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.
Emotional health: This includes managing stress, practicing relaxation techniques, and connecting with loved ones.
Mental health: This includes challenging yourself intellectually, learning new things, seeing a mental health counselor, and spending time in nature.
Spiritual health: This includes connecting with your faith, practicing gratitude, and giving back to others.
So, if you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed, take a step back and reevaluate your rhythm of work and rest. Ensure you're taking care of your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. When you do this, you'll be well on your way to living a more joyful life full of meaning, impact, and community.
The Beloved Community is a notion that was first popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. King envisioned a society that was just, afforded equal opportunity, and was undergirded by love for fellow human beings. The notion is fundamentally built on a belief that rejects scarcity mindsets and zero-sum games and embraces an abundance mindset anchored into a conviction that the earth has enough wealth for all people to thrive if they share. This means it is possible to live in a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. It is possible to live in a world where everyone has the opportunity to live a full and meaningful life. And it is possible to live in a world where everyone works together to improve the world.
The Beloved Community is not a lofty utopian notion but rather a realistic and achievable one that could be attained by a critical mass of people and organizations committed to embodying and advocating for its principles. The fundamental principles that undergird the Beloved Community are the following:
Love - A selfless concern for the well-being of others.
Dignity - All people are worthy of respect because they have an unconditional and absolute value to humanity that extends beyond their usefulness and abilities toward others' conveniences and goals.
Intolerance - Poverty, hunger, and homelessness are not tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it.
Inclusiveness - Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice are replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of kinship.
Reconciliation - Disputes are resolved by peaceful conflict resolution and reconciliation of adversaries instead of force and aggression.
If you want to help build the Beloved Community in your neighborhood, schools, or workplaces, here are a few tips:
Seek to Embody The Five Principles. The five principles provide a framework for approaching conversations and building spaces and systems. It gives us an obtainable vision of a world we all want to live in and a blueprint to build.
Seek To Love Others. Love, rooted in selflessness, kindness, service, patience, gentleness, and forgiveness, is the foundation of the Beloved Community. When we seek to love others, even when it's hard, we affirm their dignity and show them that we want to build a better world together.
Stand up for what is right. When we see acts contrary to the principles of the Beloved Community, we have a responsibility to undermine the conditions that do not affirm human dignity.
In conclusion, let us seek and commit to serving the greater good by bringing together people and resources to create value that no individual can build alone. Let us pursue love and a course that improves the conditions of people, regardless of how different, and the beauty of our society over the long term. I recognize that every decision to embody the notion of the Beloved Community can have far-reaching consequences that affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside our homes, schools, workplaces, coworking community, and neighborhoods today and in the future. As we strive to build this world and reconcile the interests of its different constituencies, we will face difficult choices and challenges, but I promise you that it is worth it.
We strive to encourage our coworking members to throw off the limitations of self-sufficiency, embrace other people's unique and special talents, and seek to find and adopt ways to bring those talents to bear for themselves and others.
In today's world, collaborating with others is more important than ever. We are facing complex challenges that require the combined efforts of many people to solve. When we collaborate, we can share our ideas and expertise, learn from each other, and work together to achieve common goals.
There are many benefits to collaboration. When we collaborate, we can:
Solve Complex Problems. Complex problems often require the combined efforts of many people from different backgrounds, experiences, and gifts to solve. When we collaborate this way, our solutions, ideas, and actions are better, which results in everyone being served appropriately. Zero-sum games don't help societies solve complex problems so that they can thrive.
Create New Ideas. Collaboration can help us to create new ideas and to innovate. When we collaborate, we can share our perspectives and learn from each other. This can help us to come up with new ideas that we would not have come up with on our own.
Build Relationships. Collaboration can help us to build relationships with others. When we collaborate, we can share our experiences and learn from each other. This builds trust and creates stronger relationships.
If you are looking to collaborate with others, there are a few things you can do:
Find people who share your interests. There are many people who share your interests. If you want to collaborate with others, find people who share your interests and who you would like to work with.
Communicate with them. Once you have found people you want to collaborate with, communicate with them. Let them know what interests you and what you want to achieve.
Be open to new ideas. When you collaborate with others, be open to new ideas. Be willing to share your thoughts and learn from the ideas and opinions of others.
Be willing to work hard. Collaboration requires hard work. People are different and come with great, good, and not-so-good things. Be willing to work through the differences and extend patients and kindness when working with others becomes challenging. It can be hard, but the effort will be worth it.
Collaboration is an essential part of a successful life and community. When we collaborate with others, we can achieve more than we could achieve on our own. We are also able to build strong relationships with others. Collaboration is essential to succeeding in life and living in a more beautiful and thriving society.
We strive to create a coworking place where members can ask, experiment with, and pursue what it means to live a life of meaning, impact, and purpose.
What does it mean to live a life of meaning? Everyone's definition of meaning is different, but it typically involves finding something that gives your life purpose and makes you feel fulfilled. It could be your career, family, hobbies, or faith.
What does it mean to live a life of impact? A life of impact is one where you make a positive difference in the world around you. You could do this through work, volunteerism, or activism.
What does it mean to live a life of purpose? A life of purpose is one where you feel like you are living your life to the fullest. You are using your talents, treasure, and abilities to make a difference in the world.
If you are looking to live a life of meaning, impact, and purpose, there are a few things you can do:
Find Your Purpose. What do you want to accomplish in your life? What are you passionate about? What's your story, and how does it lead you to likes, dislikes, talents, gifts, and areas of need in the world where you are uniquely positioned through your own experiences with the problem? Once you know your purpose, you can start making decisions to help you live a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life.
Make A Difference. There are many ways to make a difference in the world. You can volunteer your time, donate to charity, or start your own social venture. You can also make a difference in the lives of the people around you by being present, supportive, and kind to family, friends, and strangers.
Live Your Life To The Fullest. Live your life to the fullest by pursuing your purpose, and passions, spending time with loved ones, and making memories and contributions. Please don't waste too much time doing things that don't bring you joy, which is different from happiness because it's an internal state of peace and contentment that's not influenced by external factors, and don't align with your purpose.
Living a life of meaning, impact, and purpose is not easy, but it is worth it. When you live a life of meaning, you will feel more fulfilled and satisfied. You will also be more likely to positively impact the world around you.
We strive to create a coworking space where people can experience the value and worth of others through meaningful and impactful conversations.
Conversations are one of the most important ways that we connect with others. They allow us to share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others. They also allow us to learn from others and grow as individuals.
When we have meaningful conversations, we are able to connect with others on a deeper level. We can learn about each other's lives and understand each other's perspectives. We can also build trust and create strong relationships with others.
Meaningful conversations can also be impactful. They can help us solve problems, make decisions, and create change. They can also help us to heal from trauma and to overcome challenges.
If you want to connect with others on a deeper level, learn from others, and grow as an individual, then you should strive to have meaningful conversations. Here are a few tips for having meaningful conversations:
Be Present. When you are conversing, focus on the other person and what they are saying. Refrain from thinking about what you are going to say next or about what you are going to do after the conversation.
Listen Actively. When the other person is speaking, listen to what they are saying and how they are saying it. Pay attention to their body language and tone of voice.
Ask Questions. If you don't understand something the other person is saying, ask them to explain it further. Ask them questions about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Share Your Own Experiences. When you are having a conversation, share your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This will help the other person to understand you better.
Be Respectful. Even if you disagree with the other person, respect their opinion. Don't try to argue with them or change their mind.
If you follow these tips, you can have meaningful conversations that will connect you with others, help you learn, and help you grow as an individual.
We strive to be a place where people experience what it is to dare to be open, uncomfortable, and vulnerable, knowing they will be loved more, not less, for it.
Vulnerability is often seen as a weakness, but it is actually a strength. When we are vulnerable, we allow ourselves to be seen for who we really are, flaws and all. This can be scary, but it is also liberating. When we are vulnerable, we open ourselves up to the possibility of true connection with others.
We believe that everyone deserves to be loved and accepted for who they are. At The Conduit, we want to create a space where people can feel safe to be themselves, regardless of their fears or insecurities. We believe that we are more likely to find love, acceptance, and understanding when we are vulnerable.
Why is it Important to Be Vulnerable?
There are many reasons why it is important to be vulnerable. Here are a few:
Vulnerability allows us to connect with others. When we are vulnerable, we allow others to see us for who we really are. This can help us to build strong relationships with others.
Vulnerability can help us to overcome our fears. When we are vulnerable, we face our fears head-on. This can help us conquer them and live a more courageous life.
Vulnerability can help us to learn and grow. When we are vulnerable, we are open to feedback and to learning new things. This can help us to grow as individuals and to become better people.
How to Be Vulnerable
If you are struggling to be vulnerable, here are a few tips:
Start By Being Vulnerable With Yourself. This means being honest with yourself about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It also means being willing to accept yourself for who you are, flaws and all.
Find A Safe Space To Be Vulnerable. This could be a therapist's office, a support group, or a trusted friend or family member. When you feel safe, you will be more likely to open up and to share your vulnerabilities.
Start Small. Don't try to be vulnerable with everyone all at once. Start by being vulnerable with someone you trust, then gradually work your way up to being vulnerable with others.
Be Patient. It takes time to become comfortable with being vulnerable. Don't get discouraged if you don't feel comfortable right away. Just keep practicing, and eventually, you will be able to be vulnerable with anyone.
You deserve to be loved and accepted. At The Conduit coworking society, we strive to create a space where you can practice and take small steps toward vulnerability to find it.
At The Conduit, we believe all people have an unconditional, intrinsic, and absolute value that extends beyond their usefulness and abilities toward our conveniences and goals. Therefore we strive to affirm human dignity throughout every touchpoint of our coworking community and believe it's the linchpin to a more joyful, productive, meaningful, and thriving society.
Dignity is the quality of being worthy of respect. It is a fundamental human right that everyone deserves, regardless of their politics, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. Dignity is essential for a healthy and functioning society. When people feel respected and valued, they are more likely to be productive members of society. They are also more likely to experience more joy and be healthier.
There are many ways to affirm dignity in our community. We can start by respecting each other, even when we disagree. We can also work to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone, even if we disagree. We can do this by challenging stereotypes and prejudices and creating opportunities for people to get to know each other.
Dignity is a precious gift that we should all cherish. By affirming dignity in our communities, we can experience a more joyful, meaningful, and thriving world.
How to Affirm Dignity in Our Community
There are many ways to affirm dignity in our community. Here are a few ideas:
Treat each other with respect. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of their politics, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. This means being polite, considerate, and mindful of others' feelings and the stories that shape them and their perspectives.
Create a more inclusive and welcoming environment. We can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment by challenging stereotypes and prejudices and creating opportunities for people to get to know each other. This could mean being more intentional about engaging or finding dignified ways to integrate people different from us into our work and lives.
Stand up for what's right. When you see someone being treated in an undignified manner, stand up for them. This could mean speaking out against discrimination or saying a kind word that affirms a person's value in our community and world.
Be a good role model. Children and young people learn by watching the adults in their lives. Be a good role model by treating others with respect, even when the person is inconvenient to our conveniences and goals.
Affirming dignity in our community is important because it improves our lives, community, and world. Let's take the steps, regardless of how small, towards that spacial place.
Humans are social creatures. We need to feel connected to others to thrive. This is why community is so important. A community can give us a sense of belonging, support, and friendship. It can also help us to grow and learn.
There are many different types of communities. Some communities are based on shared interests, such as sports teams, book clubs, or religious groups. Others are based on shared experiences, such as families, coworking spaces, workplaces, or neighborhoods. Still, others are based on shared values, such as political parties, environmental organizations, or social justice groups.
No matter what type of community it is, each one has the potential to provide us with benefits. Here are just a few of the ways that community can improve our lives:
Belonging: When we feel like we belong to a group, it can give us a sense of purpose and identity. It can also help us to feel more connected to others and to the world around us.
Support: Communities can provide us with emotional and practical support when we need it. They can help us to cope with difficult times, to celebrate successes, and to learn from our mistakes.
Friendship: Communities can provide us with friendships that can last a lifetime. These friendships can provide us with companionship, laughter, and love.
Growth And Learning: Communities can help us grow and learn by providing opportunities to share our experiences and learn from others. They can also allow us to develop new skills and to discover new interests.
If you want to improve your life and work, consider joining a community. There are many different communities out there, so you will surely find one that is right for you. And who knows, you might find your new best friend, business partner, life hack, chili recipe, encouragement, hope, or meaning.
Here are some tips for finding a community that is right for you:
Think about your interests and needs. What are you passionate about, gifted in, challenged by, or enjoy doing? There are communities out there for just about everything.
Look for communities that are based on your values. What is important to you? What do you believe in? There are communities out there that share your values.
Talk to people you trust. Ask your friends, family, and colleagues if they know of any communities that might be a good fit for you. You can also contact us at The Conduit because we are connected to all kinds of people and groups who would love to come alongside you.
Be open to new experiences. Don't be afraid to try something new. Press through the anxiety, and embrace the journey. You might just find that you enjoy it and discover new meaning.
Joining a community is a great way to improve your life and work. It can give you a sense of belonging, support, friendship, growth, hope, wonder, encouragement, and learning. So what are you waiting for? Start searching for a community today, and feel free to contact us at hey@credoconduit.com if you need help taking your first step. We got you.
