Balance…I’m out of it. I keep hearing The Husband saying that word to me. “Balance…” I’ve decided that in 2010 I’m not going to ignore him when he says something I don’t like. I’m going to consider the possibility that God is speaking to me through him. Aren’t I spiritual? Since I’ve made this very mature decision, just 6 days ago, he’s said exactly 3 things that have gotten on my last nerve. Exactly 3 things that I feel certain are messages to me from above. But that’s a whole other post…
Balance is what I’m talking about here. Balance in life is beautiful, it provides the structure for being productive. The room to be creative. And the ability to remain somewhere on the good side of sanity.
Everyone has there own personal definition for balance in their lives. You know, almost a list of things that are non-negotiable. Things you truly can’t have sanity without…like time for yourself or a clean car. Mine involve time everyday with God, exercise, a clean and orderly home, time with The Husband, time to write, time to read…there’s more but I’ll stop. When one of those things drops off my radar for a length of time I start to unravel a bit, when two drop off it starts to get ugly and if three or more disappear you may as well club me in the head and throw me under my bed.
Since Christmas, between being sick and my “personal assistant-housekeeper” up and quitting on me. ( I won’t mention her name but we call her Emma. She’s my youngest daughter.) Anyhoo, since then, I’ve been coming unglued, unraveled and generally scurrying around like a chicken with my head cut off not getting much accomplished.
Which is why, today you are reading about balance. I’m working on it Friends….I’m sure I’ll be better by Monday. (Mainly because I’ve bribed Emma with lots of money to come clean the house this weekend…)
Do you ever feel out of balance? If you do, are there things that help? If you don’t, please just lie to me and say you do….xoxo
P.S. I’m having a Amazon Gift Card give-away…if you haven’t already, check out Tuesdays post and leave me a comment to be entered!
I hear you…it doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in the day to be balanced…that is my problem….I think when you work FT, you have to either learn to be OK with not being balanced or go crazy! I haven’t learned yet to be OK with not being balanced so most of the time I feel a little crazy…I am right there with you! You just can’t explain it to the husband because I truly think they can’t relate….if they have ME-TIME and WORK…they seem to be fine! HAHA I wish it were that simple…ROUTINES are the answer for me but I can’t seem to follow them for more than two days….HAHA My husband is so much better at that than I!
Maybe someone else has a better answer for you…
.-= Jennifer Clause´s last blog ..MY SURGERY DATE…FINALLY! =-.
Jennifer…I think you hit the nail on the head…routine. Yes sister, I’m secure when I have my routines. hugs and prayers
Yes, I have a tendency to get off balance at times. It comes out as down right mean and cranky. I too need my alone time, time in scripture, time to just piddle around the house. That’s what keeps me sane. Of course there is much much more. But I find it is when I am over extended or have just bitten off more than I can chew that I get off balance. I guess we need to stay prioritized and know when to say “Yes” and when to say “No”. But mostly keeping our eyes, our thoughts and our hearts focused on Him.
P.S. I love the tea cup with the tree with pink blossoms!
Being a writer and an introvert who often has to fake being an extrovert, I really, really need time with myself and family. Time to have personal thoughts. Quiet. Stillness. Being with a lot of people can wear me out.
P.S. Love the coffee cup tower!
Those tea cups are beautiful! I, too, can feel so overwhelmed with all that has not been done, that needs doing, that should be done. I can feel down right sick when I have been out of balance for an extended period of time. I like my ducks in a row. Routine is my comfort zone. I long for it and feel secure within its structure. I feel productive and healthy. But I try to guard against this- saying “no” to God because it isn’t in my routine. No to sickness, to family needs, to long and messy relationships with others, to extended trips, etc. I want my security to be under His wings, not in my manufactured routine. I’m learning as He so gently leads me…even through what feels like chaos to me. Only one thing is needful…to sit at His feet.
Jane…what a wise woman. xoxo
What a great post! You so perfectly described what balance is for me too. When things are not in balance I can’t think! My thoughts get jumbled and I become grumpy and unproductive. It definitely is a constant work in progress.
Never had it, and it looks quite promising that I never will! Oh well, gotta go clean the house. BTW, if your looking for something to give me on my birthday, I love everyone of those teacups. Just a side note: I have the last one…just in case you were wondering:) Love to you always, Deb~
Baby sis, I’ll leave you the teacups in my will 🙂
You are not alone. Everyone has those days. Hang in there. This too shall pass.
.-= valerie´s last blog ..This And That =-.
I am glad that you wrote this article. I always think I am the “only” one…lol. I totally feel unbalanced and have been struggling with it for some time. My conclusion is that I have too much stuff and I am not organized. I am on a major decluttering mission. I have made some headway but I am not there yet. We have the largest home yet and still there is just too much. I have to hunt, rearrange, etc. Drives me crazy!!! PS Get better soon.
Funny you should mention balance… I just sent my semi-better from being really sick son to school today so I can do what I need to restore a bit of balance! Although what I do is… clean my house! Nothing puts me in balance more than restoring order and cleanliness to my house 🙂 I have a “need to clean” and my dh will tell you to get out of my way if its been too many days since I’ve had a chance to restore order!
.-= Vicky´s last blog ..Where you will find me Sunday night… =-.
It is never easy to find that balance in our lives….is it ?? ….but I have found that the Lord certainly helps me with all of that because He sees the Master Plan and when I don’t see His plan and I can’t trace His hand… I can “Trust His Heart” and everything falls into place!
P.S. I collect teapots, but, I think they would be a little hard to stack!
I definitely need balance!!! My balance is keeping my house in order and clean. And, I have a schedule that I like to keep in cleaning my house, as I home school too. When DH retired, it threw me way off balance for awhile and I was a mess. 🙂 I have learned to deal with that now and have gotten better with being flexible. I relate with you, Robin!
.-= Eileen´s last blog ..Oh,The Weather Outside Is… =-.
Balance was my catch-phrase from God last year. #1 thing that I learned last year (I’ve got a hard head, ya know?) – Control is just an illusion. You never were in control, and you never will be. God is in control!
Too, simplify – eliminate the unnecessary.
Good Luck and will be praying for you!
My God-word this year???? Perspective. lol
.-= Shannon Wilson´s last blog ..Thankful Friday! =-.
Shannon…thank you. It’s true…and I do keep hearing “simplify”. Thinking on this. hugs
I can so relate to this post. We went out of town for a couple nights and sleep was all off for us. So, everything else was too. I’m not good at routine. But, I love how I feel when I am routine. There is something calming about a clean house, dinner planned and ready, a craft ready for after. I am trying to hop back into my routine today…lol. Amazing what you can get done if you just focus on one task at a time.
After 24 years you are not going to give Mike the benefit of the doubt? Hmmm. Yeah, my life gets out of balance when I don’t get enough cycling time. All work and no “play” i.e. relaxation make Bill a very touchy guy. And when I say “touchy” I don’t mean touchy feely. I mean edgy. I get out of balance when I fail to make time for my Quiet Time. I also get out of balance when i don’t visit my chiropractor on a regular basis. LOL
.-= Bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..“Getting Even” =-.
It should read “You are now giving Mike the benefit…”
.-= Bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..“Getting Even” =-.
I knew what you meant Bill! Yes it took roughly 24 years…I’m a slow learner 🙂
Hi, just popped over to say a big thank you for the holiday coasters tutorial. My youngest and I both made a set with poinsettia napkins over the holidays, and we just love them!
I LOVE those teacups! Have a great week!
I get out of balance, too. My life is out of balance at the moment, and I’m working to swing it back to its center, but it’s going to take some time, I think! For me, a very long walk in a beautiful place clears my head and helps me be in the moment. I lose balance when I worry, worry, worry about the future. Having moments in the day that are just moments to be is absolutely essential to me.
I love this post, Robin, including those gorgeous teacups! Happy weekend to you! xoxo
.-= Gigi´s last blog ..Winter White and Promise =-.
I have been screaming about needing balance for years. While I look for peace in my relationship with God, I have put way too much weight on the outside things that I see as ‘balanced’. Are the kids in enough lessons? Did I put enough ours into my research paper? How many friends do I talk to each day? Each week? I’m not saying anyone else is doing this; I am simply saying this has been my measuring stick for far too long. I am just beginning to really understand what my friend tried to tell me at least seven years ago: God isn’t judging based on these things. He looks at the heart, looks at the things that really matter. I find balance not in outside things, but by taking time to devote to prayer, study, and meditation on God’s word. For me, balance is found there between the activities, the visits and the filling of the calendar. Balance is found when I stop all the whirring and stirring of life on a daily basis to go before the One I call my God. I should take that much more seriously. Thank you, Robin.
Hmm…in retrospect, I think that though I was using the same word, I was a bit off topic on my comment. I definitely have those things that are just me, those things that, when absent, cause my life to feel out of whack. Singing, studying, writing, and the right mix of time with friends vs. time alone. Time alone with God still makes this list. Life seems to get crazy without it.
Balance…I’ve been out of balance for so long now and struggling to find a way back to something like that. My most recent wobble is our two moves in 2009. I think we are settled into our new home now and I am hoping to find those things that give me a sense of balance. Wobbling is not my favorite.
.-= Aubien´s last blog ..Imaginary letters … =-.
Yes this is it! All it needs is balance!!! I lost it this winter too… ( go and see my looong breack in blogging…) But now whit a combination of More time for me, swinter half way done and going back to be creative,creating I found back my Balance. Just have to take care to stay on this route….
Balance is a constant activity. If you’ve ever walked on a balance beam you know. You just don’t get it and then move on down the wood. No sir. It’s a constant adjustment.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..My Valentine Day Tree. =-.
I understand how you feel. I feel like I’m spinning out of control trying to manage the house, a small job, laundry, planning a school carnival, taking my son to colleges for auditions….well, you know. On the most recent college road trip I listened to Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s “A Gift from the Sea”. I’d highly recommend it. Although written in the 50’s she speaks to women and moms of today and takes her lessons from the sea side. I don’t know if it has all the answers, but it is a soothing read.
.-= Jane´s last blog ..It’s Raining Yarn! =-.
Balance? What’s balance? 🙂 I used to strive for balance by making things orderly, like you. I knew things I wanted to do and scheduled them and that created balance. Now that life changes on a dime, my definition of balance has as well. Now, balance for me is less about what I do, and more about how I let go. I do what is in front of me in the moment and let go of my expectations of doing something else.
Hmmm… I might feel a blog post coming on 🙂
.-= gitz´s last blog ..Gitz Bits 2010: Week 3 =-.
I get out of balance when things get messy….so then I get messy! I like and really NEED order, in the house and in my mind. I need quiet time, but I also need to be with my Joe. I can get unglued while preparing for dinner guests…..like yesterday:):) XO, Pinky