Hello Stampers! Well, can you believe that 2020 is almost “in the books” as they say? This past year has been challenging in oh so many ways and I am ready to slam, not gently close, the door on 2020 and step bravely through to 2021. How about you? Are you ready to say Goodbye 2020 Hello 2021?
One of my favorite book series is The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.C. Lewis. It began with the Pevensie children stepping through the wardrobe door into an imaginary world on the other side. While my door into 2021 might not take me into a world of lions, fauns, and witches, I do believe (if I start off with a little balance) it can take me into a year filled with opportunities and delight. Let me explain.
As many of you know, I am a wife, mother, Gee (my “grandma” name), Christ Follower, friend, Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, full-time employee, neighbor…you get the drift. With each one of these comes responsibilities and time commitments. So how can I make the most of opportunities in each one AND keep some delight at the same time?
TIME. We all have the exact same time in a day; 24 hours. No more, no less. It's what we do with this time that allows us to step into opportunities with delight OR to spin out wheels out of control. For me, it's all about balance.
For everything that we respond to with a hearty YES, there is something that gets a NO. And, as we all probably agree, it is way easier to spill out a yes, than a no. That's just human nature. We WANT to help people and organizations. We WANT to provide the shoulder to a crying friend. We WANT to write out a check to that worthy cause. But, if we don't keep our yes and no answers IN balance, the only logical conclusion is we will be OUT of balance. As I have found (and maybe you have, too) that is not a fun way to live. We find ourselves not doing anything well and we certainly shortchange ourselves the time WE need to rest and recharge.
So how do I do it? I am clearly not an expert and I often find myself out of balance. I stay up too late to finish a book that I just can't put down. I spend hours on a craft project to get it just right. I talk on the phone when I should be reading my Bible…and on it goes.
Don ‘t get me wrong, there are times we need to spend more time on something at the expense of something else. Especially as parents we've all had those times one of our kids needs all of our attention. Everything else is put aside. Maybe we have an important work project that we've procrastinated on and now our time has run out. We better focus on it or we'll find ourselves out of a job! These types of “unbalance” are just part of the flow of life and can't be avoided from time to time. But, most of us want those times to be the exception, rather than the rule.
May I suggest that as 2020 comes to a close, a little bit of planning and foresight might just help us start 2021 in a more balanced place. What are your goals and dreams for this next year? Write them down, prioritize, decide what YOU want to be a YES and what is better put into the NO column. If you pray, ask God to help you decide what His plan for you is and then work on the yes and no columns. Above all else, be sure to leave some time for YOU to rest and relax.
My hope is we all find opportunities and delight as we step through the door of 2021 in a more balanced way.
Happy New Year my friends!
