Rhythm: Finding the Calm in the Chaos

Have you ever felt you have so much to do and you’re so overwhelmed that you end up just doing nothing? Or have you realized that sometimes you just go, go, go trying to accomplish all the things you “need” to do only to feel exhausted and unaccomplished? Maybe you’ve found yourself in both of these situations!

I'm wondering if this feeling is especially prevalent at this time of year. I know I have been wanting so badly to make time to write, but I have had other priorities that needed my attention. So, today I share something I wrote this Spring {April 2014} that I needed to read again to remind myself to slow the rhythm of my routine and find calm...

Last night the kids went to bed well and on time. So I was able to put up my feet and open up a book. {Yes, a real book! More on that later.} Then… I heard footsteps coming down the stairs! I watched as the door slowly opened… I saw our large Main Coon cat emerge from upstairs and walk directly to the basement. {Breathe.} Wow, it’s so nice when everyone in the house, even the cat, knows that it’s time to rest! I went back to relaxing. I was thankful, because I know some days it feels like I’m chasing …      chasing the kids and cats and calm.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how chaos can overtake a day. Do you see that picture above? It may not look like much, but that mess in my front seat takes a lot of time to put together and even more time to put away. All that is necessary to make Mondays run smoothly! Too many days like this and life starts to feel a little out of balance. Are you making yourself  crazy with too many chaotic days?

When people mention balance, I take notice because that’s been my focus word and my goal for a few years now... or maybe more like the last decade. When I started reading “Unforced Rhythms of Grace,” I took notice right away because she started with this: “I have long loathed the word balance.” What?! But, as I read the rest of what Beth Guckenberger had to say, I entirely agreed with her perspective. She goes on to say: “A while ago, adapting a principle I read in Matthew, I exchanged ‘balance’ in my vocabulary with ‘rhythm.’ ”

New Year: Healthy Choices in 2014

Fact: I'm not one to make New Year resolutions.  But... I have been missing Zumba, and I do want to find ways to be more active (especially now that it's sooo cold outside).  And... I do want to eat healthier foods, and I need to have more energy.

Thing is, I've struggled to figure out what is actually "healthier" to eat.  As is usually the case for me, a lot of different influences have come together to change my life for the better.  The end result is that I'm starting to eat and feel better, and I have so much more energy! 

The key concept I keep coming back to again and again is BALANCE.