Set Limits so that we can become… Limitless

What are we doing with the times of our life?

Regardless of what our minds tell us, we cannot do everything. Not all at once, at least! What are our hopes and dreams? What is our contribution? I have recently been contemplating the value of time, and what it means to me, and how I’d like to spend my time. How are my moments in life, stacking up…

Do what you love is a common phrase. But what if you love to do a lot of different things? What if you have a spouse, children, parents, family, pets and friends who rely on you as well! Most of us also have a job with work related responsibilities, and so on…

Balance, creativity and saying “no” are the three concepts that are top on my list for creating limits that help us to spend more time on the things that we love and help us to be successful in our relationships at home and in our work.

Just as technology is allowing me to write and publish this page, technology has allowed us access to all things at all times, making it very difficult to have peace and quiet and moments where we feel rested. Saying no to commitments, is a subject that is difficult to grasp in the American culture. I notice that many of us fill up every moment of every day and then we are left gasping for air and falling ill or becoming unproductive .

Balance

In order to understand what it means to bring balance into our lives, I think we need to start by understanding the meaning of the word balance itself. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary app, there are nine ways to define balance. I’m going to stick to the first entry which simply states the definition of balance as maintaining a physical equilibrium .

Creativity

When creating balance in life, we look towards the people and things that bring us joy. For each of us these things most likely look different. For me, creativity begins with nature and being outside. This year Anthony and I designed and built a garden, this has been such a fun and creative outlet for me! Creativity also makes me think of planning and dreaming up a getaway that I can share with Anthony and our boys. It also means looking toward color and art to inspire my work and my to do list. Creativity means a stack of cookbooks that inspire me to create a meal that our family will share or that will just allow me to spend time at home experimenting in my kitchen. Creativity means a brand new notebook and handful of colored pens and pencils that will inspire me to write and paint. I also think of creativity as planning a party or a holiday get together that involves time spent sharing a meal with the ones that I love. What does creativity look like to you and in your household?

The word “No“

Saying “no” can be extremely difficult. Over the years I have realized that when we say no to certain commitments and say no to overload, we say yes to balance in our lives and in our households. When we say no to some things, we immediately feel a little lighter and brighter. I have also realized that saying no to an invitation is not personal. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to do something or spend time with someone. Saying no means that physically, for my own balance and equilibrium I cannot do it….and that’s ok!

As we transition into the fall season, and come to grips with the idea that the beauty of this summer is behind us, I am looking forward to the cool crisp weather that inspires me for different reasons. I am excited to simmer up large batches of soup at the market and huge pots of fresh stock. I look forward to the holiday planning and fall get togethers that involve fire pits and charcuterie platters. The colors of fall make me happy and make me want to grab a warm blanket and open up a good book. Although the garden will go dormant and the nights end earlier in the winter, this is the perfect time to rest and to dream up all of the fun moments ahead. Setting limits is the surest way for us to become limitless.

Chowfancy Friends!

xoxo

Keri