I know I’m behind on posting this mission. To be honest, this mission couldn’t come at a better (or worse?) time in my life.
Rediscover Your Balance: Take a picture of the 5 things that help you keep balance in your life and explain why.
When I got this mission, I was stumped. I thought about it for a day or two, and still couldn’t come up with anything, so I sought help. I asked friends on Facebook and Twitter how they find balance in their lives. I got a few responses:
@kimwithak: “…I try not to open my laptop on Saturdays as much as possible. Just one day off helps balance.
@MprfectltyCandid: “…friends and family…”
Dawn: “Music, meditation, and water. And if I can "meditate" while listening to some soft music in the background while sitting at the ocean or the river? That'd be perfect.”
Krista: “For me... my life is always so busy. I have to force myself to sit down and just take a time out, which is my balance. My "time outs" are usually... breaks from studying, taking a nap, allowing myself some time to talk to a friend in the hallways... etc.”
Izel: “…I think doing what you love or makes you happy.”
Sal: “Doing what I believe in, always with honor and respect is not only what gives me balance, but what provides me with a reason to keep on living.”
Caroline: “Yoga!”
Now that I had a fresh perspective on this mission, the things that help me find my balance just started jumping out at me! I feel like the way I live my life can be compared to walking a straight path. I get up, I go to work. I come home. I eat. I spend time with friends. I sleep. I have a routine and schedule that I’ve grown accustomed to. Once I start becoming stressed and frazzled, I feel like not only am I stumbling off that path, I’m careening out of control. The following things and people are what help me regain my sanity and help me to balance my life back out again.
Stephen. He’s a given, right? He puts up with my crazy antics. He knows me inside and out, so he knows when I’m stumbling off my path. He’s the one who keeps me sane, and to prevent me from having a full on meltdown, he’ll help me to take a step back from whatever situation it is that I’m in, and to look at it with a new perspective. Case in point: Last Saturday, I hosted a housewarming party. We were seriously behind due to painting, so the day of the party, I had a lot of cleaning and cooking to do. I started getting stressed and Stephen could see me starting to slowly lose control. I slipped on the stairs at one point and broke down into tears. Knowing that I just needed to get out of there, Stephen sent me to take a shower and get ready for the party, despite the fact that we were nowhere near done getting ready for the party. All I needed was a nice warm shower to help me feel better and I was back to being my normal self.
My Family. They’ve been around since day one. Next to Stephen, they’re the ones that know the most about me. They’ve seen me at my best and at my worst. They know how sensitive I am. They’ve seen me lose friends and gain new relationships. They’re always around to help me out when I need it the most. I’m so grateful for them.
My Friends. They put up with all of my antics and grand schemes. They come to every little party that I decide to throw. Even when I’m having a meltdown over the fact that the party didn’t turn out the way I wanted, they’re still there to comfort me. (Yes, I consider my sisters my friends.)
My Morning Routine. I used to be a nanny for 4 kids. Needless to say, the days could get a little rowdy. I discovered early on in life that I’m not a morning person, and waking up, getting ready and leaving for work left me frazzled on certain days. One day, I discovered that if I started out the morning by enjoying a cup of coffee and reading some blogs for 45 minutes or so, I was able to get a more calm start to my day. On days that I don’t get to partake in this little ritual, I can actually feel myself starting off my day unbalanced. It’s funny how little things like that can make such a big difference.
Baking. There’s no better way to balance out my life than to get lost in a baking project. Sure, I have times when I get in over my head and probably have a meltdown or two, but there’s nothing better than coming home after a hard day and whipping up a batch of cookies. Cookies fresh out of the oven will cure anything.
To find out more about the Women of Wonder project, check out the WonderBra Facebook page.
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