Be Still, or Be Engaged?

I don't know about you, but summertime has me constantly torn between using the new free time to relax and focus inward and find some peace and quiet, or using it to do all the things I've wanted to but haven't had time for, to go on hikes and find places to volunteer and take spontaneous road trips with friends.

How to best use one's time seems to be one of the
 biggest and most complicated and unanswerable of questions.

Time is precious.

So how should we spend it?

Turning to scriptures, I found two answers which seem at first to contradict each other.

Which is right?

First off, I want to explore what "be still" and "be engaged" mean. From what I've found:

"Be still" does NOT mean:

Be idle

Wait to be told what to do

Be lazy

Stay in bed all day

Do nothing

"Be still" DOES mean:

Give yourself quiet moments

Pray

Trust in God

Stop worrying so much

Ponder

"Be engaged" does NOT mean:

Be stretched beyond your limits

Stay busy all the time

Get no sleep

Be the best in all you do

Have no free time

"Be engaged" DOES mean:

Notice and serve others

Use your talents

Make people's days better

Educate yourself

Be present in your own life

So with this deeper understanding of "be still" and "be engaged," I return to the original question:

Which is right?

Is it better to meditate or serve?
Pray or preach?

Ponder or work?

I'd like to reach out to one more resource before we make a decision on how to use our time.

This video is one of my favorites, and always serves to adjust my perspective as needed.

So what's the answer?

Should we be still, or be engaged?

I would say that it is entirely possible,

 even necessary,

for us to be both.

Get out of your room and go play a game with your brother.

Put away your homework and just admire the sunset for a moment.

Sign up to volunteer at an animal shelter.

Take the time you're stuck in traffic to talk to your Father in Heaven.

Make dinner for your mom, or a friend in need.

Write down the most life-changing moments you've experienced.

Start a work out routine.

Put your phone away and just listen to the birds in the trees.

Get up a half hour earlier to read your scriptures in the peace and quiet.

Call your sister.

Close your eyes and breathe deeply.

The worth of time does not depend on how much is free or how much is filled.

The worth of time is the worth you see in it.

Find little ways, both quiet ones and active ones,

to make your life more meaningful.

And let me know if you found any changes that helped you make the most of your time!

I'd love to incorporate them in my life, too. :)