More than just surviving

25 Sep More than just surviving

As a thirty something mom of a just-turned-two year old and a three month old, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a career woman with a senior position in Corporate Finance and an entrepreneur I frequently find myself wondering ‘How am I supposed to do it all?’, ‘Am I supposed to be doing it all?’, ‘What is my real purpose in life?’. Amongst all these questions constantly bouncing around in my head, there’s a self-imposed expectation to be the best mom, the best wife, the best friend, the best daughter, the best sister, the best aunt, the best in my team at work. Average is not an option.

Becoming a mother threw a whole new perspective to this life. The overwhelming responsibility that God has entrusted me to raise these two precious gifts and to be the absolute best example to them. To give them my time, my energy, my patience, my guidance. To give them my absolute best. But how is this possible when there is so much else that needs to get done, clients demanding deliverables, a start-up business needing attention? How can I give my absolute best to my little family and everything else, when it feels like the tanks are almost always empty? It’s not possible. Something has to give. I can’t give what I don’t have.

It all sounds so depressing, but I doubt that I’m the only one who feels this way. In fact, I know I’m not.

So what I’ve discovered is that life is a continuous juggling act of choosing which balls to prioritise and give the most, the best, energy to. It’s a journey that requires me to gain perspective of the bigger picture, multiple times a day. It’s a process of simplifying life to enjoy it and appreciate it. To be who God has called me to be. Not to just survive.

In Bill Hybels’ book simplify, he suggests that the process of simplifying life is more than just doing less or reorganising. We need to unclutter our souls. My uncluttered soul can give the love, the time, the energy. It can give the best because my bucket’s overflowing with all these. The trick is to find out how to keep that bucket full.

Bill Hybels suggests that our replenishing comes from activities and time spent in five broad categories – connecting with God, family, satisfying work, recreation and exercise. I’m still discovering what keeps my bucket full, working out what helps me to gain perspective, see the bigger picture, what inspires me. I’m finding out what this life is all about, and there’s definitely more to it than just surviving.