Do You Know Any Jugglers?

How many balls can you keep in the air at one time and still maintain your balance? If you stop and think about it, during the course of a day you can be Mom, wife, daughter, sister, co-worker, chauffeur, homemaker, friend, neighbor…and the list can go on and on. All of these represent something that we have a hand in and hence come the juggling act. If we’re not careful, not only will we drop a ball or two, but we’ll lose our equilibrium and fall.
Recently, I looked up in my cupboard and discovered the bell peppers I had purchased were on the shelf. I couldn't imagine why I would have done that until I looked in the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator. To my surprise, there were two cans of tuna! What could I do but shake my head and laugh at myself. How many of us have done that? We have so much going on in our lives and twirling around in our head that we can easily lose track of something. Very few women these days lead one dimensional, simple lives. Most of us are juggling multiple roles with home, work, family, friends, etc. How many times have you responded, “fine, just busy,” when asked, “how are you doing?

There is nothing wrong with living full, productive lives and taking on the challenges that come with that. It’s only when our “busyness” takes on a life of its own and renders us “busy but not productive” that we need to look at our lives. So, what is busy? Busy is defined as having a great deal to do; full of activity, work, people or things.” We have to be careful that we maintain a productive life, and not just a life full of “things.” That’s what juggling too many balls is – just things.
When we do too much, go too much, help too much, give too much-you get the idea, it begins to manifest itself in our physical, emotional and spiritual life. Oftentimes, our juggling act doesn't even include ourselves. In serving others, we often neglect our own needs and deplete our inner resources to effectively to anything. If we are not careful, the things that are important-our health, our souls and our relationships- will be put aside to deal with immediate demands. These are those “fragile” balls that will break if we drop them! Demanding, intrusive people, last minute requests, responding from a place of guilt will keep you in a constant state of reacting and not truly living a life you can love. These are the balls that keep “bouncing back!”

It is possible to create a balanced life, a life where you can feel calm, grounded and more in control of what you’re handling. Recognize that there are two distinct elements of your life that require balancing – internal and exte
al. Some people focus of the exte
al – work relationships, activities and minimize their internal – heart and mind. Others may be more self-reflective-sometimes we classify these people as “not a people person.” Either way, concentrating on one and neglecting the other is like trying to juggle on a one wheel bicycle. Pretty soon, you’re going to drop something and probably fall yourself. If this resonates with you, try these steps to help you get back on track:
1.Recognize – take some time to look at your life and how you’re feeling about where you are. Be honest with yourself and notice those areas in your life that you are neglecting. How important are they to you?
2.Plan – make a list of your daily, weekly and monthly activities. This will help you see where you are spending your time and what’s jeopardizing your “balancing act.” Do you find yourself “running around like a chicken with its head cut off?” Why?
3.Prioritize – everything in your life cannot be a priority! Look at your physical, emotional and spiritual life. What balls are you trying to keep in the air for each one? How much time are you spending on each?

Just a few small changes may be enough to make you feel more in control of your life, more relaxed and more fulfilled. You have a choice. You can run around all day long, frantically trying to maintain your balance while juggling too many things. Or you can enjoy life’s journey, realizing that life is a journey and sometimes as you travel along that path, you’ll have to run, sometimes you’ll walk, sometimes you’ll play and when you can do nothing else…stand!

Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”