Finding Balance

The Amish love the Sunshine and Shadow quilt pattern.  It shows two sides--the dark and light, spirit and form--and the challenge of bringing the two into a larger unity.  It's not a choice between extremes: conformity or freedom, discipline or imagination, acceptance or doubt, humility or a raging ego.  It's a balancing act that includes opposites.--Sue Bender

  
We've all had them the days when you rush from one task to the next with barely a breath in between, our minds racing along even faster, and lately it seems that I have them more often than not.  Even on weekends chores have been creeping up on me which is why I no longer blog on weekends. Day after day, it's always the same.  Always something to do.  And, I am not talking about major chores like cleaning out a closet; I'm talking about all of the nit-picking little things that eat away at our time.  For example, cleaning the coffee pot and readying it for the next day only takes a matter of minuted, but it annoys me because when you add it with all the other minute little chores that must be done, it eats away a good sized chunk of your time. And, even in those days I say I plan to rest, I just can't seem to make those nagging little chores go away.

We live in such a fast-paced world that it is hard for many of us to keep a balance in life, and, as a result, it's often all too easy to push our own needs to the background. Have you noticed that we always seem to be trying to balance something...our checkbooks, our priorities, our time? We struggle to balance our schedules to include time for both work and play, and do our best to eat a balanced diet. We are always juggling things to find some kind of balance in our life.

Then, just when the time comes that we can finally get some rest, we lay in bed, wide awake, thinking about the multitude of tasks left unfinished on the to-do list that never seems to ever get done. Add the stress, the exhaustion, and daily wear-and-tear on our bodies, and it's not too long before we find ourselves burning out.  

Do I have the answers?  I wish I did. I will be 64 years old in a matter of days, and still I don't know how to balance my life.  I still don't know how to say, "Hey, wait a minute.  I've had enough.  How about a little help here?"  It's so hard to change when you've spent a lifetime acting in one way. Maybe one day.  Maybe one day I will find the answer.

Are you balanced?  Do you share your time, your energy,
your life, as much with yourself as you do with those
around you?. . . . Know your limits.  You are one of the
most important people you need to look after and love.
Balance your time, your energy, your life with those
around you.  You'll be able to give more freely and joyfully
as a result, and you'll be more open to the gifts of
the universe.  It's not wrong to give to others.
But it's okay to say yes to ourselves, too.

-Melody Beattie-