I have realized that all areas of my life cannot possess a high level of focus. I mean, I already knew this BUT it still gives me a bit of anxiety when I’m highly proficient in one area and super sucky in another area. My mind and body can only prioritize one area at a time. Those things that easily consume me and put me in a state of flow also make me think that I should be doing that for a living and not mucking my way through my current career path. Hmmm…

While in NY, I helped a friend create a visual representation of the various quadrants of his life. We chatted about overlap and how much of himself he was devoting to each quadrant, whether that level of devotion actually matched his value system, and the consequences and benefits of maintaining his current state of prioritization. Getting to a state of “equilibrium” is a mindset and not an actual thing. “Balance” is a piece of poop that’s been heaped on our heads. We make choices and those choices craft the days of our lives. None of our lives are evenly split amongst all that’s happening in our head and heart. Let’s just accept that and keep it moving. Your “equilibrium” is defined by you and only you know when you’ve reached a satisfactory state. Own it.

What would your graphic look like? Here is mine. Excuse the screenshot.

Vanderbilt, Nashville, Family, Friends, and ME in the middle. I call these bubbles, because like bubbles, they float around (sometimes aimlessly), collide with each other (I have friends that live in Nashville that also work at Vandy), burst each other (crisis at works means no time for friends), and let’s be honest sometimes they just pop! However, bubbles can be fun but also super annoying. They bring joy but really suck if the solution gets into your eye. They also come in different sizes.

My biggest bubble right now is not probably what it should be BUT I’m just looking for some joy and by doing that I’m actually putting myself into the center of things. I’m working really hard not to apologize for this. I’m taking it as a win that I’m at least aware of my priorities and now I just have to continue chasing bubbles. Breathe.

Lata Y’all.