We love to be busy.
Not because it makes us better, smarter, or happier… but because it makes us look important.
There’s a subtle, almost sacred pride in saying, “I don’t have time for this.” As if time scarcity has become a virtue in itself, a medal pinned to the chest of modern life. The busier you are, the more admired you are. The busier you are, the more you’ve proven your worth. And the more we nod along, the more we sell ourselves short.
The Cult of Motion
Hustle culture has convinced us that motion is proof of meaning. We fill our calendars with meetings that could have been emails, side projects that bleed us dry, and social media scrolls disguised as “research.” Motion is noise disguised as value, a theatre of productivity we perform for an audience of one: ourselves.
We’ve confused doing with being. We think activity equals impact. And the harder we push, the more we exhaust ourselves chasing a horizon that keeps moving further away.
We measure our success not by reflection or creativity or calm insight… but by motion, by busyness, by the constant, exhausting hum of a life that never stops.
The Quiet Betrayal
Here’s the irony: the busier we get, the less we achieve. The noise grows louder than the signal. And the things that truly matter — thinking, feeling, connecting, creating — quietly slip through the cracks.
We brag about our long hours, as if exhaustion is a merit badge. We wear stress like designer clothing, believing it elevates us above the unambitious masses. And we’ve trained ourselves to ignore the truth: that hustle without purpose is just motion… and motion without purpose is a trap.
It’s a trap that keeps us chasing the wrong things: validation, attention, comparison. And while we’re running, we forget to ask the one question that really matters: Why am I running?
The Subtle Tyranny of Busyness
Hustle culture isn’t about achievement. It’s about control.
It keeps us distracted, exhausted, and complicit in the illusion that our worth is measured by how little time we have. It glorifies the small wins of activity and hides the quiet, radical power of reflection.
We’ve traded hours for applause. We’ve traded presence for perception. And the world, in turn, treats our busyness like a commodity. It applauds our tired eyes and calls it dedication. It celebrates our shallow productivity while the deeper work… the thinking, the imagining, the creating… goes unnoticed.
The Courage to Pause
Here’s a radical thought: maybe it’s time to stop proving our worth through busyness.
Maybe it’s time to reclaim the simple, terrifying act of saying no. No to endless meetings. No to work that doesn’t matter. No to the constant hum of “important” noise.
The world isn’t changed by motion alone. It’s changed by clarity, by focus, by courage, and by the ability to be present.
To truly create, reflect, or connect, we need space. Space to think. Space to breathe. Space to be uncomfortable with silence. Because in that silence, we meet ourselves… and only then can we decide what actually deserves our energy.
Confession of a Recovering Hustler
I know this because I’ve lived it. I’ve filled my calendar to the brim, scrolled endlessly under the guise of “research,” and justified exhaustion as a sign of ambition.
And I’ve learned that no amount of busyness will ever feel like enough. Only the act of choosing what matters… and ruthlessly letting the rest go… brings a sense of achievement worth having.
We don’t need to be busy to be alive.
We don’t need to run to matter.
And we certainly don’t need to glorify exhaustion as a virtue.
We need presence, attention, and the courage to say: my time is mine… and I will use it well.
Until Next Time
Discover more from Dominus Owen Markham
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.