Where Has True Leisure Gone?

Where Has True Leisure Gone?

The phone rang--again. Josh tried desperately to concentrate on his driving while picking up his cell phone. He was already late to pick up Katie from soccer practice and had a project due the next day. His stress level had been rising lately. If only he could take some time off, but he was always too busy with too many things to do... Unfortunately, this appears to be the rising norm in today’s society as the work ethic and constant busyness of life have taken over, impeding on the amount of time that people spend in true leisure activities. In fact, people are misusing their leisure time and sacraficing it to the god of busyness. When we view how members of society like Josh act in their leisure time, we become exposesed to the society's true values. In general, a society that uses its leisure time to gain more success and wealth is a society too wrapped up with the wrong intentions. Conversely, if a society balances its leisure with commitment, we conclude that it has found a reasonable middle ground. This middle ground should include a Christian outlook, reminding us of what is truly important. When we compare today's society to these standards we can find out where we as a society stand and what we need to work on.

However, before we can further discuss the effects of leisure on society, we must define what leisure is. We defined leisure as the freedom to perform a task that we do not have to do, but rather choose to do. Leisure is a time where we can step away from the daily chores of life, focusing on what really matters in our life. For Christians, this could include strengthening our walk with Christ. While this is only one of the many definitions, it is what we consider to be the true...

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... and power. It is common belief that only through busyness can a life of success be achieved. The thought process behind this reasons that if we can deal with the stress connected with this lifestyle, we must have the discipline and drive required to become rich and famous.

When we look at what really matters in life, however, we find out that this lifestyle brings nothing but misery. True happiness comes through a life where leisure plays a vital role, providing many benefits, such as balance and perspective. This can be achieved when we take the ideas we learned from the previous societies and slow down the pace of life. Only then, can we seriously contemplate what we have and what really matters in life, becoming better human beings.

Works Cited

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