Doing or Being?

Much of my life, professionally and personally, has been dedicated to achievement. I’m a goal-oriented person, and yes, an avid list maker. In fact, I keep lists of lists: to-do lists, bucket lists, Christmas lists. You get the picture. Busy has always felt best.

Every now and then, though, life interrupts. The passing of a friend, a close call on the highway, or a shocking news story shakes me awake. Those moments force me to stop and ask: What really matters?

That pause is important. I can get so energized by doing that I lose sight of my deeper purpose. Doing is about outward action such as tasks, goals, and accomplishments. Being, on the other hand, is about inner state, character, and presence. Doing often feels rushed, fearful, and pressured. Being emphasizes mindfulness, acceptance, and connection. Ideally, being brings peace.

Some argue the key is balance which is a life where action and presence complement each other. But is that balance truly possible? I am not sure.

I’ve met more than a few “uber-successful” people along the way. They have money, influence, and accomplishments stacked high. Yet, in my experience, many of them are vain, restless, and profoundly unhappy. Friendless, family-less, they charge endlessly down the path of doing, never finding the peace of simply being.

And then, every so often, I stumble across someone entirely different. They radiate contentment. They are centered, grounded, and quietly joyful. More often than not, they’re in midlife or beyond. Rarely wealthy, their résumés list pottery, gardening, or dog training rather than corporate takeovers. Their lives are stitched together with presence, not performance.

So I’ll leave you with this question: in your own life, are you mostly doing, or mostly being? And if the answer makes you uneasy, what might you change?

John Bradley Jackson
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