I can feel in myself right now a bit of a tipping of the balance鈥� and not in a good way.
Many of the conversations I have with other parents right now also suggest that they are dealing with a similar feeling. A feeling of moving at break neck speeds (at times) and the struggle to stay 鈥渙n top鈥� of it all or to do well in all things. It can be exhausting.
I can sense that things are off kilter and that means I need to be intentional and proactive in restoring that balance. Often times we never intend to get imbalanced but we just start slowing, saying yes to too many things.
It鈥檚 typically with really good intentions. We want to say yes to all the good things that we have the option of taking part of. Then there are times we say yes because we feel pressure to or we want to please people.
We need to realize that saying yes in and of itself is not a bad thing, but we need to be intentional about what we say yes to. When we have a big yes 鈥� something that is a high priority in our life 鈥� we can more easily say no to things that conflict with that yes. If saying yes to that one extra kids鈥� activity means that we don鈥檛 have any nights just to chill at home, then it has to be a no, even though the activity itself is a good one.
We get to choose the life we live. We are not victims of circumstances and it鈥檚 really important that we teach and model to our own children how to make these choices. How to intentionally create space in their lives to just be. People are also going to have different experiences of what feels balanced in their life.
It鈥檚 important to carefully consider your own family and your needs to determine what is achievable and life giving to your family. It takes thought and action to find that balance, and it will likely shift with the seasons, but it鈥檒l always be worth it.
