Trying to balance these Cormorants in China reminded me of how difficult it’s been to find time to write while fulfilling my family responsibilities.
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Balancing these noisy ducks in Fengdu, China made me think of the conflicting demands and challenging responsibilities that confront us.
What roles have you played in your life?
Daughter ___
Job seeker ___
Caregiver ___
Writer ___
Sister-in-law ___
Niece ___
Friend ___
Granddaughter ___
Mother ___
Aunt ___
Partner/Spouse ___
Sister ___
Goddaughter ___
Teacher ___
Godmother ___
Single-parent ___
Cousin ___
Student ___
Volunteer ___
Genealogical Researcher ___
How many did you check? All twenty pertain to me.
Life is complicated. We play many roles and resolving the difficult and often conflicting responsibilities is a constant challenge.
Are you a daughter or mother?
If so:
- What were your first responsibilities as a daughter or mother?
- How did these responsibilities change in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s?
- How did these changes impact your life?
Roles are complex. The demands they make change over time and it often seems as if we are in a perennial state of flux.
When you find a moment of calm as depicted in this picture of converted Rice Boats anchored at the Kumarakom Lake Resort in southern India, cherish it.
Does this sound familiar?
When I was a young girl, my parents cared for me but, as they grew older and experienced health problems, the roles reversed and I became the caregiver.
Did this happen to you? It did to me.
Can you relate to this?
Family has always been my priority and though I’ve wanted to be a writer since I entered a contest in elementary school, I only recently published The Inheritance. I always nurtured my dream but my responsibilities as a daughter, mother, sister and spouse consistently relegated my writing to the “back burner.” I’d begun the publishing process for The Inheritance in 2006 but my father’s diagnosis with cancer put it on hold. With my husband’s support, I quit teaching to care for him and watch over my mother. My father passed away in 2008 and, after resolving family issues, I resumed the publishing process in 2012. I am now a full-time writer but my family remains my priority and my writing may be relegated to the “back burner” again.
10 Life Balancing Tips.
There is no guaranteed way to balance the roles we play in our lives. Here are some tips that have helped me.
- Make health a priority. Taking care of others and achieving your dreams will be impossible unless you are emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually strong.
- When confronted with a decision, select the one that will matter the most one year from now.
- Accept that change is a constant in life. There will always be something to deal with. Keep your priorities in mind but stay flexible.
- Realize that worrying won’t solve any problems and is only a waste of time and energy.
- Find one lesson from everything that happens then move on.
- Convince yourself that you can’t do everything. It’s okay to ask for help and say no.
- Perfection is an unrealistic standard. Aim for good enough.
- Acknowledge that we all die and life goes on without us.
- Embrace aging. Growing old is a gift. Do it with grace and gusto.
- Learn to laugh. Don’t take everything seriously!
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How do you balance your life? I’d welcome your comments.
I hope you enjoy the photographs.
Even though we carry different loads like these container ships in the Argentinian port of Buenos Aires, staying afloat is what everybody wants to do.
Don’t you wish that your life was always balanced like these floral designs at the Kumarakom Lake Resort in southern India?
We are all women but, just like this floral design from the Kumarakom Lake Resort in southern India, the challenges we face are different.
