Why have we all convinced ourselves that having no time is a sign we’re doing something right?
For most of my life, I thought being busy was a badge of honor. “How are you?” “Busy!” Somehow, that was considered a good answer. Busy meant productive. Busy meant important. Busy meant successful. Then I started spending more time in Costa Rica. And I discovered something rather disturbing: nobody here seems to care.
You can be sitting in a little Costa Rican soda enjoying a coffee when someone asks you a question. You answer. Then you continue drinking your coffee. There is no frantic checking of the phone, no looking at the watch, and certainly no announcement that says, “I’ve got a meeting in seven minutes!” If the conversation is interesting, you keep talking. If lunch takes an hour and a half, apparently lunch takes an hour and a half. And if somebody says, “Pura Vida,” it doesn’t mean, “Hurry up.” It means pretty much the opposite.
Pura Vida isn’t laziness. It’s a different relationship with time. We spend years trying to save time so we can eventually have more time. Think about that sentence. Costa Rica quietly asks a much better question: What if you simply enjoyed the time you already have?
The strange thing is, once you experience that mindset, going back can feel almost ridiculous. You suddenly realize your calendar isn’t a measure of your importance. It’s just a calendar. Your overflowing inbox isn’t a measure of your success. It’s just an overflowing inbox. And being constantly exhausted doesn’t mean you’re winning at life.
Maybe Pura Vida isn’t about slowing down.
Maybe it’s about finally realizing you were running in the wrong direction.
Because life isn’t waiting for you to finish everything on your schedule.
Life is happening right now.
And in Costa Rica, somebody probably just ordered another coffee. . admit it. . it sounds pretty nice, huh?
Skip Licht
The Costa Rica Good News Report
costaricagoodnews@gmail.com
WhatsApp: 1-754-423-8823
Visit our websites at www.costaricagoodnewsreport.com and at
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