My Life is a Pie

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Like you, I am a busy girl.

• 2 daughters, a husband, a dog, a house, and a yard to love and support.

• A full-time job.

• 2 blogs.

• 2 book clubs.

• A class on sustainability and its required readings.

• Wonderful friends and a big extended family to enjoy.

• At least an hour a day of exercise (more on this later. I know I've been neglecting my Cath is Getting Smaller on the Eat Less Move More diet, but there's a reason for that as in I've been reading this book Younger Next Year which is all about the exercise and so I've been committed to exercising an hour a day for about a month now and am completely maintaining my new weight while building strength and endurance like you wouldn't believe. But like I said, more on that later.)

• Laundry. Cleaning. Organizing. Decorating. Shopping. Cooking. Maintaining.

I'm not sure how much more I can/want to fit into my life right now and keep up with the commitments that I've already made.

I've never been very good at the ol' balancing act. It's the one thing I consistently struggle with. I'm always over-extended.

As a kid, I never wanted to miss out on anything. I was involved in everything I could get my hands on: piano, clarinet, Key Club, National Honors' Society, band presidency, FBLA, French Club, writers' seminar, marching band. I was crazy busy. But in a good way.

The same is true today. I don't want to miss a thing. I want to pursue everything that I'm interested in.

I seem to thrive on that. To a point.

So when I'm invited to participate in another group once a month that would require some preparation ahead of time, I'm torn. I want to join. I want to participate. I want to have fun with my friends.

But I'm pretty tapped right now. My energies are scattered in a lot of different directions and I often don't follow through with all the commitments that I've already made.  And I'd like to spend more time with my mom, my brother, and my girls.

I've wavered back and forth on this for weeks now. It's killing me, but I think I'm going to have to decline.

Kind of an alien feeling, completely against my true nature, but one that I feel is best for the here and now.

My good friend, Ann, puts it this way: Your life is a pie which can only be sliced in so many ways. Make sure that the pieces you serve are big enough to make it onto the plate.

How 'bout you? Do your pieces make it to the plate?

Comments

[Lindsay S.]

I am so happy that you wrote this. My pie is picked apart, tasted by sneaky hands, dug through, and what is left is cut into tiny little pieces so that there is just a taste left on the plate. I LOVE ANALOGIES!!! It's how I view life and learn. What a great one!! I am just the same way. I want to be a part of it all. I want 10 new friends every day. I want to feel accomplishment in every single possible way. So much, that I don't accomplish any of it completely. I will keep this perfect analogy in my head forever now. You're awesome. Keep writing.

[Karen Hill]

I think you have enough commitments right now.

If something "special" comes up and you really want to do it, go for it. But I don't see THAT as a commitment. I think you were wise to decline something that would take fixed hours at a fixed day/time.

Probably the same or a similar opportunity will be there down the road. Maybe even a better one.

We all have to learn to take care of ourselves. Sounds like that is what you are doing.

[travelinoma]

So much to do, so little time. It's one thing to say no to something you really don't want to do (it's still hard, even then) but choices between good things are frustrating. I have a list of my priorities right on my desk, and I have to check it often to see if I'm actually giving time to the activities I've deemed most important. It's fun to be busy unless you're too busy to have fun.

[beth opel]

Aw, no worries, Cath. Do what you have to do and what's best for you. We'll miss you, but at least I get to see you every day at work! You have probably already been tagged, but if not, here's a ready-made blog post to help you out. See our blog for details! Love you!

[Barbara Spencer]

Ahh, good looking pie, but do you have the time to eat it, share it with a friend or relative that stops by to say "Hi" If not, no matter how good it looks, it ain't gonna cut right.

[Debbie Olson]

Hmmmm. . . I think my pie is in crumb stage! Perhaps if one used a spoon to get it to the plate, it might make it. Seriously though, this was timely. Thank you for something quite worthy of further thought, Cath.