HUMAN BEING OR HUMAN DOING?
“What is man that you are mindful of him?”
Circumstances have motivated me to do some existential self-diagnosis.
The self-question that challenges me is, “Am I a human being or a human doing?” I confess too much of my life has been being a human doing and not a human being.
Amazingly, as I focus on who I am and not what must be done, peace fills my life cup like the rising sea fills a deep harbor.
Wonderfully, worry and anxiety become ghosts and delight and hope swell in me. The more I focus on being human and less on doing, the more joy of being alive is my reward.
My suspicion is many reading these words relate to my experience. Addiction to human doing is common in folks who seek to be high achievers.
This is my invitation to join me for 7 days to bring to our conscious minds the fact that “being” is more important than“doing“.
The fact is, the more we forget the more we try to do! The journey, the process, the experience, all are in the being, not the doing. For example, when I think about being a father for many years, I recall being a father is the foundation for fatherhood.
The concept of human being and human doing is clearly expressed through the way Jesus lived and treated us; especially his disciples.
Paul understood and wrote about human being and human doing better than anyone. Jesus welcomed us as human beings. He embraced us as who we are and not as what we do.
As a basketball coach, it is clear when an athlete is valued as a human being; as a created being with unlimited potential and not valued strictly on performance (doing), in this valuation, the athlete’s performance becomes vastly superior.
These coming days of, “so much to be done” the focus on being a human being is the best possible way to perform at a high level.
We are human beings, not human doings.
Celebrate with me.
