Dreaming of a Balanced Life

Growing up on the east coast my childhood was full of action and adventure. One my fondest memories was seeing Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Boston. There was such a flurry of activity in those three rings that it was hard to decide what to watch without missing out on one of the other acts happening simultaneously. It was definitely a case of sensory overload and the adrenaline rush was out of this world! As a child our daily schedules were comprised of school, home, activities and fun. Life was fairly simple and stress free back then.

Fast-forward fifteen years and the picture changes quite a bit. College days or work/family life challenges add many more balls for us to balance and keep in the air. If you were like me your twenties and thirties were filled with all sorts of juggling acts to try to keep everything on track and resemble some sense of order.

We believed we were “Wonder Woman” and that we could handle everything that was thrown our way and still keep a smile on our face and a bounce in our step. How many times did we compare ourselves to other women that seemed to be coping better than we were? We would usually have our mini meltdowns away from our friends, relatives, spouse and most importantly our kiddos. Lord knows we didn’t want to appear to not be perfect! After all, tomorrow was another day and we could hit the reset button and start all over with a blank scorecard.

With age comes wisdom; and I am here to tell you that when you allow yourself to drop a few balls and be o.k. with the scales of justice being off (and yes even put your own needs first) you will come upon one of life’s BIGGEST A-ha moments!

Toss out those two-inch thick planners, (do people even use those anymore?) and your other daily efficiency tools that you use that leave you feeling unaccomplished. Trust me, its o.k. if the activity ring on your watch doesn’t completely connect. Life is full of so much joy, laughter, and excitement if we only allow ourselves to experience it.

So stop beating yourself up if you have to run through a drive-thru on your way home to just simply get a meal on the table. Perhaps you didn’t cross off all of the items on your “to do” list. We have bigger fish to fry ladies! Those magical moments when our kids see us realistically and the experience teaches them that people are not perfect. Life is a challenge at times, and it’s all right to drop those balls every once in awhile. Replace them with water balloons and go have an incredibly fun time with your family in that back yard of yours. Delegate and liberate yourself! Let go and have more! Most importantly…enjoy every crazy and wonderful moment!