balancing art

I LOVE my job (why do I always list this first???).

I LOVE my family.

I LOVE my God and church.

I am blessed and I KNOW it.

Okay - but, I’m one of those types of people that has a hard time with balancing these joys. I work late. I have a bazillion errands on the weekends. I am trying to not freak out over how much there is to do and how little time there always seems to be. It’s a struggle to be cool and not get caught up in some drama or chaos.

I’m also trying to teach my kiddos my values - and sometimes I know that they appear very out of wack.

Needless to say - I’m excited about a new book that I recently purchased. 

One Year of Inspiration for Girlfriends . . . Juggling Not-So-Perfect, Often-Crazy, but Gloriously Real Lives

Yep - that’s the title (which is really long) and the author is Ellen Miller.

I happen to know this author - she’s a former boss and I really like her. Ellen is very smart and witty. She’s been crazy busy and understands living through a stressful, nutty life. She’s been an executive within the corporate world and now she owns her own marketing agency all while being a wife, mom and very active church member. She’s always a million percent in when she’s committed to something. She has a very close group of friends that are her support system - and her husband is amazingly supportive of her as well. When I first met her in the office (on the first day of her job), I told her “I’m going to be a sponge around you - just so I can learn EVERYTHING from you.” 

(Yes, looking back - I realize how silly that sounds, but if you met her - you maybe would have said something just as silly. No, Really.)

She’s super stylish - always looks AMAZING and exudes confidence. She was the first person in my career who actually cared about the art in her office! Highly organized and very pulled together. And she has a very optimistic personality (i.e. high energy and very happy). She beams. If this lady had “bad days” (even a “bad hair day”), no one EVER knew it. Not that she’s perfect, because she’s not. BUT, she’s REALLY close.

I’ve gotten Ellen’s “Truth Nuggets” via email for years - and this is taking them to the next level. She’s organized them into different segments, with daily reading entries (like a daily devotional) and includes a work sheet at the end of each. I’m hoping that I’ll gleam ANY advice, strategy that will help me create more balance between all of the different facets of my life. I’ve told my husband a million times that I just need to do a better job of work/life balance. Uh huh.

So, it’s time for me to put up or shut up on this topic. Wish me luck!