The Art of Living

As women, a pre-requisite of the modern age seems to be that we can multi-task and keep multiple balls in the air at any given time. The balls vary from the different roles we fulfil in our hectic and super-busy lives, to the things we think we “need” to accomplish to be accepted into the feminine sisterhood of superwomanism (love that word I just made up!)

But what happens when you drop a ball? Or you don’t have the energy, the drive nor the mojo to just keep soldiering on whilst keeping all the balls in the air and keeping up appearances just for the sake of maintaining face?

What happens when your health, sanity and general well-being are at risk of some near-volcanic activity? When the pot has been simmering away for so long the contents are almost burned blackened to the bottom of the pan?

Sometimes, you’ve just got to take a step back and say “hang on a minute.  I’ve got to start taking care of me here”. Yes, the multitudes of roles and hats and balls or whatever best describes what we do need to be done, but do they ALL have to be done today? Right now? Right this second?

What would happen if you left the washing until tomorrow and went and put your feet up and read a good book instead? What would happen if you had take-out for dinner and took the kids for a walk on the beach this afternoon instead of slaving over the oven to cook a feast? I can guarantee you this, life would go on. The work and meaningless tasks that need to be done will still be there tomorrow. However, taking some time out alone or with your loved ones no doubt probably just saved your sanity for today.

We think we have to tick all these things off our to- do lists each and every day. It’s like we’re in an over-achiever’s competition … mainly with ourselves. We get so caught up in the action of doing and getting things out of the way that we forget to take the time to enjoy the simple things, the little things, the free things.

My challenge to you in this new year that we have just been blessed with is to slow down, savour the moments, cherish the laughs, create some fun in your days, get creative, learn to relax, learn to say no and know that you’re okay with that, walk barefoot on the beach, grab your child’s hang tight and run through the waves together on the beach, whatever your sanity saver is. I'd encourage you to have more than one.

Enjoy each precious moment for what it is. We never really know how long we’ve got on this earth and I’d rather have countless memories of fun times with loved ones than memories of dreaded tasks I  “should” have done.

Here’s to a sensational year ahead for you. Each day you are gifted a blank page to create the chapters that will become the story of your year. Use the pen wisely.