Simplified Balance: A Writing Therapy Reflection and Updates

Yes, I know. This isn’t Tuesday OR Thursday. I mean . . . I’m straight in the middle of the two with today’s correspondence. No excuses for being a day late or a day early. It just is what it is — a blogging Wednesday for our visitation this week. And if I can be quite honest with you, more and more as of late, I’ve been changing up things here and there with the regular programming at Degrees of Maternity. You’ll see what I mean if you keep reading.

Let’s start with the fact that I’m truly trying to live this “simplifying life” lifestyle unapologetically. I really am. And, finding the balance in everything thrown my direction is EXTREMELY critical to my overall well-being.

Same with you. In fact, in order for you to flow in the genius that’s been assigned to you, it’s really important to make sure that nurturing and replenishing YOURSELF is just as much of a focus as is pouring your gifts, talents, and abilities into others for their benefit.

Because what I’m observing is the give and take dichotomy — all around me and in full force. I see it relived each day in myself and in those around me. The two diametrically opposed forces. That push-pull that’s so prevalent in life. But it’s really a balancing act that can be discovered through common sense, trial and error, experience, observation, and mindful self-preservation.

Let’s just take this following statement, for example: WE DON’T HAVE TO HAVE OUR HANDS IN EVERY LITTLE THING! In our circles of influence, there are simply some things that we CAN NOT micromanage, or constantly worry over or stress ourselves out over, or try to control when it’s not in our power to do so. We just have to let some things go and keep it movin’.

Look at it this way. Your arms can only carry a certain load and your hands can only grip onto a certain number of things from any point A to point B you’re travelling. Some things will be left behind, because it’s not possible for you to carry ALL THE THINGS with you.

So, I keep it pretty simple now. And, here’s what I tell myself . . .

“STOP TRYING TO CARRY EVERYTHING BY YOURSELF, BECAUSE YOU CAN’T HUMANLY DO IT.”

Good advice, don’t you think? Oh, and don’t think it’s just for me either. This advice has your name written all over it, too.

And while I know I can’t be ALL THINGS to all people, I do know that I can serve a mission-driven purpose that provides SOMETHING to some of the people. Same goes for you. And furthermore, I can’t even do ALL THINGS for my own self. I need help from others just to manage my own stuff. Same goes for you, too. So, let’s be content with knowing that and being okay with the fact that we can be a help while receiving help.

We can give ourselves the permission to simplify things . . . lighten our loads . . . delegate . . . slow down . . . PIVOT (as I like to say) . . . create balance . . . and enjoy life.

I mean . . . I had to watch the Golden State – Lakers Playoff Game last night. I just had to. I haven’t caught a full NBA game all season and I was determined to make this the first. I have sooooooooo many irons in the fire right now, consisting of ongoing commitments in helping family members with various things, work-related and spiritually-related projects that are constant and up-and-coming, end-of-the-school-year/preparing-for-summer-break to-dos, home-improvement endeavors in my home and others’, graduations, birthdays, recognition of the wonderful mothers in my life, and just plain old taking care of myself. There’s other stuff, but you get it — I have a long list of items that require my attention.

But, here’s the deal. A couple of hours out of my schedule to focus on something other than priorities — just mindless entertainment in its purest form — didn’t hurt anyone on my list of priorities. And in fact, that single game did wonders in bringing a little more balance to my overall well-being.

BALANCE.

Such a simple word, in theory. But, such a complex word, in execution.

Nevertheless, I’m learning to make “balance” less and less complex as I just act on it (execute it). It’s that whole practice makes perfect thing. Or closer to perfect, anyway.

So, try it out if you haven’t already. Practice balance. Don’t be skewed too extreme to the work side or too extreme to the play side. See if you can exist healthily somewhere in the middle.

Oh, and just to give you another example of how I intend to execute on some of the balance, here at Degrees of Maternity, check this out:

I’ll be switching (PIVOTING) to a new blogging schedule to open up some more time to get the membership up and running sooner rather than later.

And for those of you who are caught off guard because you haven’t heard about the life-impacting membership I’ll be introducing to you very, very soon, you can catch the replay from last week’s blog post, entitled Two Writing Therapy Announcements You DON’T WANT TO MISS!

So going forward, the new blogging schedule will be once a week (on Wednesdays) until I pivot again. And please just pivot with me, folks. You’ve got to be flexible around these parts. You know how I do.

But the constant in this whole thing IS the writing therapy. In fact, I’ll be coming back at you with writing for healing, identity-refining, and all the things. So, get ready to warm up those hands, because they’re going to work.

Oh, and let me end with a site update action item that has been checked off the old goals to-do list:

Drum roll please . . .

I finally got my site switched from degreesofmaternity.wordpress.com to degreesofmaternity.com. Woo Hoo! This long-term goal has gone bye-bye . . . been put to sleep . . . laid to rest . . . is over and done. I’ve been celebrating for a week now. (Hint . . . hint . . . this domain name change was the little maintenance project that I alluded to last week.)

I was so afraid to make this change because I thought my site would be completely messed up with everything looking more wonky than it does now and with hundreds of my blog posts missing in action out in the online abyss where lost blog posts go.

But the switch was pretty painless, I must admit.  There were a couple of glitches I noticed right away and got with a WordPress Happiness Engineer to correct. And who knows, there might be some remaining that I haven’t caught yet. But as far as I can tell for now, all is well. I was able to send this post out for your reading pleasure. So, that’s good. And, all the blog posts along with the site appearance switched over seamlessly and that was what I prayed would happen.

All in all, I’d say the process was a HUGE SUCCESS!