writing workshop

Breathe.

Ruth Ayres

Last week, someone asked me:  How do you balance it all?

This question always makes me smile sheepishly and give my standard response:  I don’t.

Yet her question has tumbled around in my mind for a week now.  So here I am, Sunday evening, nearing 10 pm, with a zillion items to do on my lengthy list.  As a wife, a mother to three young children (ages: 3, 5, and 7), a full-time educator who drives more than seventy-five miles each day, a writer (pinch me, is that real?), and an artist who believes in regularly documenting the beauty of everyday life, my plate is full. 

I’m blogging this because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who feels this way.  We don’t have to have to be juggling a jillion different projects and roles to feel overwhelmed.   Yet the choices we make everyday make a difference in our ability to enjoy life, even the crazy-busy times of life. 

Right now, I choose:

  • To smile at the little joys life has to offer.
  • To allow good enough to be okay sometimes.
  • To turn off the tv.
  • To keep my priorities in place.
  • To hug the ones I love more.
  • To do tasks when I have a few moments.
  • To take advantage of the golden moments tucked into the day. 
  • To set my timer for fifteen minutes and just get started.  It’s amazing how much can be accomplished in fifteen minutes.  It’s even more amazing how once I’ve started, it’s a lot easier to keep going.
  • To accept help from others.  It is because of all the extra chores Andy (my husband) has started doing around the house that even lets me steal time to write a book.
  • To only focus on the things I can influence and to let everything else go.
  • To keep my eyes on the big picture.

How about you?  How do you juggle all the pieces of life?  Please share in the comments. 😉

Discover more from TWO WRITING TEACHERS

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Unknown's avatar

Published by Ruth Ayres

Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.

2 thoughts on “Breathe.”

  2. One of my blogs is even titled In Search of Balance because I am always trying to find a better balance in my life. I find that taking time to frequently reevaluate my priorities and dedicating enough time to all my top priorities in order to feel fulfilled. If I dedicate time every day to my girls to just read a book, rock them, play, put together puzzles, or laugh with them, even if it is only briefly, it makes all the difference.

    It is hard for me to not spend a lot of time preparing for school. I like to feel very prepared and that I am doing my personal best. However, sometimes wanting everything to be just right takes away too much time from my family. I am always looking for ways that I can use my time more efficiently.

    Like

Comments are closed.