The Superhuman Syndrome

A lot of us is guilty of this.  We tend to think about alot of things while doing a lot of things and in the end we feel all burnt out, stressed, and frustrated for not doing the work according to our expcetations.

Have you experienced doing work that you think its more than what your body can accomplish?  have you experienced working long hours that you can't even answer the call of nature or even brush your hair, or even put on a lipstick?  Have you even experienced thinking of a lot more things to do that even the things you are currently doing aren't done yet?  Have you experienced crying at night because you haven't finished doing the task assigned to you?  Or did you ever experience working in the silence of the night while everyone is snoring in their beds because you can't sleep over the unfinished work which is due the next morning?  And I'm sure you have experienced snapping out on someone because you are too stressed thinking that there are many things left undone.  And I am super sure that you have envied some of your collegues for finding time to relax and mingle with other people while you sweat your butt out of your work.

I experienced all those not so long ago.  I didn't realize that I was having a superhuman syndrome, a condition that people have when they are being so responsible, so dutiful, so correct in their professional practice that they lost their joy of knowing God.

I became so engrossed with my work that I do not even have a minute to spend with HIM.  I was so physically exhausted that all I can do is to do the sign of the cross and then doze off.  But even though I put all of my time to doing my human tasks, still I find it so hard to fulfill them fast.  I do not have the joy in my heart and all I feel is I am too exhausted.  I want to give up.  I envy my co-workers, as if their work is so light.  They can even have time to go out and have fun.  I was jealous because I thought they didn't have much work as I do.  I was thinking life is unfair.

Then I came across the story of Martha and Mary (Lk. 10: 38-42)

I saw the MARTHA in me.  I overlooked at a lot of things that I didn't realize that all that is important is being with God and Knowing His will.  I was busy pleasing the world around me that I compromised pleasing the One who is worthy to be pleased.  I was exhausting all my strength to achieving my earthly goals that I forget about my spiritual health. 

So I started to find time to what matters most... Knowing God and Pleasing Him.  Little by little, stress seems to fade.  That no matter how busy I get, and no matter how many my work load is, I find them all easy to accomplish that I still have time to comb my hair, apply a little lisptic and sit and laugh with my seatmate as we listen to her music.  In other words... Just what Jesus told Martha:  Mary chose the better one, and so did I.  I found myself happier, more fulfilled, and more ready to face challenges in work and in life.

Yes life is busy and challenging, but did we ever realize that most of the pressure we experience in our lives come from our own unrealistic self-expectations?  Why worry by being a superhuman, when all we need is GOD who exceeds being SUPER!  No matter how super a human could be, still he will be incomparable to GOD'S Might and Power.

Be like Mary, Choose the better one... and it will not be taken away from us.