simple life

Giving Up the Idea of Living a Balanced Life

Posted by Barbara Techel

two fish galleryTwo Fish Gallery, Elkhart Lake, WI

Yesterday I attended a webinar where the speaker talked about getting to the core of what your passion is. Then once finding it, giving up the idea of trying to live a balanced life. The idea being that when you find your passion, it should then just meld in with your life. I love this.

It is something I’ve tried to do and continue to strive to do. For me, when a writing idea hits me I’ve gotten better at making a note of it to come back to. But I want to take those moments of thoughts floating fast through my mind and get them down on paper or into my computer in that moment.  I don’t want to set it aside for a “better” time. While I realize that may not always be easy, I believe I can do better.

One thing I love about my life in regards to giving up what seems to be a balanced life is I think we get caught up in thinking that a 9-5 job is balanced. For so long I would go to a job that I didn’t like. I’d tell myself to just do the work and when I got home I could enjoy my life then. This seems so backwards to me now. Many others seem to be feeling this way too.

This morning I’m working on my blog post for the day which you are now reading. But soon I will be off to a restorative yoga class. This is my special treat to myself for the last three months of being busy with my blog tour for “Through Frankie’s Eyes.” I like how I can do my writing this morning, then take a break to treat myself.  I don’t do this everyday, but I do try to weave in these moments of centering myself in different ways. Whether I walk the dogs, take a tea break on my deck or out front on my bench, or ride my bike to the grocery store, along with working in my writing cottage, I try to go with the ebb and flow as much as I can.

So what is someone to do if they work a 9-5 job, right? When I worked at our local resort I found creative ways to center myself. I’d often take my 10-minute afternoon break and walk down to the lake front. Just getting outside and seeing the water always refreshed me. During my lunch break I’d head home and often take a 30-minute nap. I’d have my lunch prepared but would eat when I returned to my desk and began working again. I used to enjoy cross stitching. In the winter months during my lunch hour I’d work on a cross stitch project.

No matter if you work outside the home or from home, I think the idea of a balanced life is a myth. Does it really exist? Maybe you love your 9-5 job and it is your passion, but at times you feel out of balance. Maybe giving up the idea there is such a thing as a balanced life can help along with mixing into your day small moments of pleasure and joy is the key.

I know for me after hearing the speaker yesterday, I feel a great deal of relief in realizing that just like there is no such thing as perfect, there may also be no such thing as balanced. But finding the center of what makes our hearts sing and living within that space as much as possible may just be the thing to living the best life that we can.

I Gave Up Shopping Years Ago. You won’t Find Me at the Mall On Black Friday.

Posted by Barbara Techel

I love this sweet little tree and nest that I walk by in the woods with Kylie

Okay, so I have not given up shopping completely. But I do look at it quite differently than I did years ago. If I’m very honest with myself, shopping filled me up- filled a void. Though it only lasted a short time. Then the wonderful feeling was gone and I’d be left with the guilt of what I bought that I really didn’t need.

Part of my wanting to live a simpler life means I really have to give thought to things I buy.  My income is not what it was when I worked outside the home because I have chosen a different path. But the pay I get from following my heart has been quite rewarding. It really is quite intriguing to me that as I began following my heart and making  different choices, shopping seemed to fade away from what was important to me.

I also worked in retail for twelve years. I worked at Kohl’s Department Store and was the visual merchandiser.  This meant I was the person decorating and putting all the Christmas trees out in the store in mid October. Believe me, I heard a few choice words from customers now and then. Though it was not my “rule” they be put out so early- it was what headquarters dictated.

I loved my job as visual merchandiser, but the day after Christmas always made me sad. I always had to help at the return desk and the stuff that came back was unbelievable. Bins and bins and bins would be overflowing with all the things people returned.  Two days after Christmas I’d have to take down all the holiday decorations. It was depressing to have spent two months gearing up and what seemed like it all ended so abruptly.

The day I left Kohl’s I knew the last place I’d want to be was at the mall.  I did try it once or twice, but it left me feeling exhausted and empty. So you won’t find me at the mall this Friday.  Instead I plan on walking my dogs.  I’ll walk Kylie through the woods past the sweet little tree with the bird nest.  I’ll walk Joie and watch her fly in her wheels, happy as can be. I’ll take down my fall decorations in my house and relish in putting up a few favorite Christmas decorations. I’ll cut down two big tree branches to make a fun, different Christmas tree idea I saw in a magazine.  I’ll give thought to all that I am grateful for. I’ll snuggle with Joie on the sofa and peruse my favorite cottage magazines. I’ll look forward to playing Yahtzee in the evening with John, and lighting all the candles in our cozy little cottage.  Yup, this is what I shall do. It never gets tiring to me, but rather fills me up with pure bliss.