Overwhelmed?

 

The word “overwhelmed” and its sister, “underwhelmed” have always intrigued me.  We know what both of these mean, but what does it mean to be “whelmed”?  Looking at a dictionary doesn’t help. It is to be crushed or run over, both of which make me think of “overwhelmed.  So, why bring this up?

 

The world has you by the tail rather than the other way around?  You have too much of everything, and you have too little time for anything?  Welcome to the year 2009, where it is only going to get worse.  What with Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo, Linkedin, and a hundred other opportunities to have two million friends, none of which you know, but you think they read what you write.

 

This, of course, does not mean you have to quit, but it might be nice to get some relief.  One thing that helps is to be fully present.  This is that state of being here in the now, rather than reminiscing about what you didn't get done last year, or what you are afraid of in the year to come.  Someone has figured that 80% of our thoughts on any given day are about the past or the future rather than the present.  Is this not a tremendous dilution of your energy? 

 

To be fully present is to be engaged in what is taking place at this exact moment.  Being distracted is an annoyance and to tolerate it a waste of time and energy.  Being present enables one to do what is important at this time and then you will have no need to come back and redo it next week or next year. 

 

It is time to get “whelmed.”

 

Coach