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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Balance

"Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life — learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some."
– Robert Fulghum


My life is very compartmentalized.  I really need for it to be that way because I am someone who wears many hats.  I thrive on having a routine; a schedule; consistency.  In order for me to participate in the things I love, I have to have a plan and I need to schedule my life so that I MAKE time for the things that are important to me.  People are forever asking me how I'm able or why I even want to be involved in so many different things.  The answer is pretty simple:  balance. 

I feel good when my life is filled with a variety of activities.  We are all complex people with many different interests, who says we have to limit ourselves to eat, sleep, work, rinse, repeat?  I have strived to fill my day with meaningful things; my family, my friends, my work, hobbies, volunteering, etc.  Of course, my health is absolutely necessary for me to give any energy to anything else, so I've learned to make exercise part of my routine (just like showering, brushing teeth and eating!  It's a must!)

I found the quote by Robert Fulghum and it really rang true to me.  I thought about my day today.  I chatted with my husband while I ate my breakfast, then headed out the door to meet my friend, Heather, for an 8 mile run.  After our run, we had "coffee talk" for about an hour.  I came home, and spent several hours with my family; we had lunch, went to an Earth Day festival, then rode bikes in the park.  Once we were home, my husband and I had time to ourselves to chat and plan our week (the normal husband/wife chatter; afterschool schedules, t-ball practice plans, dinner menu, etc) but we also nourished our friendship and focus our efforts on keeping open communication and enjoying each other's company.  That may sound silly, but how many people do you know carve out time out of every day (even just 15 minutes!) to talk...really TALK...to their spouse?  I then had quiet time to myself.  I took a short nap, made myself a snack, and checked email and Facebook.  :)  My day was busy, but I found time to do thing things I love and spend time with the people that are most important to me.  I made time for myself, my needs. 

My work week isn't much different.  I know when it's time to shut out the world and focus on my work, and I'm able to turn work off and focus on my family.  As a business owner, that has been a hard lesson that I've really had to practice a lot.  It would be very easy for me to check email at all hours of the day and night; through dinner and piano lessons.  However, then I'd miss out on my family and I'd miss out my young children's precious moments.  There's a reason why I'm that "crazy lady" that goes to the gym at 4:30 am.  That's MY time.  In having that time to myself, I'm charged and ready to go when my family and work need me. 

There's time for everything that is truly important to you in your life.  Time isn't found, it's made.  Carve your schedule, make your routine, pick up your briefcase, put down your cell phone, turn off the computer and pick up a book, laugh and dance and play and then close the door to the world and feed your soul. 

Health is all about finding balance.  Every day is a new opportunity for me to find that balance, some days are better than others, and some days are a complete cluster of chaos, but I'm learning.  Do a little bit of everything in a day so that you don't get several days down the road and realize that you forgot to nurture something and you missed out on something great!

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