You Can’t Meditate If You Should.

Mindfulness is an “is”, not an “ought”.

Take a second to think about all the things you should be doing today. Maybe there’s some work you’ve been putting off or an errand you should run. Maybe you should be looking for a job or working on a business idea. Even if you’re taking a day off — as you should, it’s a Sunday after all — there’s still probably a fairly long list. In fact, days off are often busier than workdays, they’re just a different kind of busy.

Instead of going out and earning money, days off end up being a chance to catch up on all the things we haven’t had time to do. They’re an opportunity to get some laundry done, or to sort out the finances, or do odd jobs around the house. If we’re lucky, we might even have some time left over to catch up with friends or, more likely, some sleep.

I’m not saying this is all bad. There’s no good way to live free from responsibilities, and the attempt to do so would doubtless lead to a small, sad life. There really are things we should do. But responsibilities aren’t the whole game, and most of us take on too many. There’s a sense that if we aren’t doing something that we can point to, if we can’t prove to ourselves in every moment that we’re useful, then we won’t be able to justify our existence. Not just to others, but to ourselves.