Blog

Balance – Tranquil Thursday #14

Maggie

A black and white photo of a solitary boat on a lake

You can leave your comments below or write a post of your own and link back here. Pingbacks should be working, or you can drop your link in the comments if you prefer.

I am back after a very busy trip to prepare for and welcome our new grandson. I am happy to report that mom and baby and family are happy and healthy and adjusting well. I had a very busy two weeks helping their family prepare for the arrival of Alexander (Xander), a 10 pound five ounce bundle of joy!

I exhausted myself every day, but it was heart work so it was all a pleasure. Not only was a new little boy born but also a new ‘big sister’ as well. Our granddaughter is so in love with her baby brother and she is already such a loving and caring big sis. We only stayed a few days after the birth, but I will be going back no doubt, whenever they need me.

My trip home was trying. We drove the nine hours back, but I was not well on the drive. Saturday morning found me at urgent care. After a short visit and a prescription for an antibiotic, I am finally feeling more like myself.

We forget the changes required when welcoming a new life into our well defined families. Common space becomes a little smaller, while love and concern grow larger. There are adjustments to sleep schedules, meal preparation and even fitting in one more bath time. Soon, the adjustment will be going back to work which can be the biggest adjustment of all.

All of this reminds me how much we need to find balance in our lives. When things are out of balance, the entire world can seem off kilter. I offer a few questions to ponder and answer should you be so inclined.

  1. We have all heard of the need of work/life balance. If you are still working, what percentage of time do you dedicate to work that percentage to life? If you are retired, how have you achieved balance outside of managing a work life?
  2. Remember teeter totters? Life is like a teeter totter. When lives enter or leave us, we are thrown off balance. When there is too much on one side of the fulcrum, the other side is left dangling in the air while the heavy side is stuck in the sand. How is the current balance in your life?
  3. If things get too hectic, what tools do you use to regain balance?
  4. Sometimes we self-sabotage the balance in our lives by letting too much in, or giving away too much of ourselves. How do you control the flow in and out of your life?
  5. Life Pie – if you ever completed The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, you may recall the exercise to determine how  fulfilled your life is by dividing it into six areas. I will post her instruction below. Draw your life pie. Were you surprised with the results?

“Draw a circle. Divide it into six pieces of pie. Label one piece Spirituality, another Excercise, another Play and so on with Work, Friends, and Romance/Adventure. Place a dot in each slice at the degree to which you are fulfilled in that area. (outer rim indicates great; inner circle, not so great). Connect the dots. This will show were you are lopsided.” -Julia Cameron

38 thoughts on “Balance – Tranquil Thursday #14”

    1. Thank you, Dorothy. He was a big boy – 23.5 inches long, too!

      I think you are right about our fulfillment often being lopsided. I doubt I have ever been equally balanced.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Exciting news about the new bundle of joy. I can understand how helping out was exhausting. I’d forgotten about The Artist’s Way pie pieces. That’s a great exercise in self-awareness and one that I’ll be contemplating for a while. I need more balance, but am not sure what is off-balance right now. Thanks for the nudge to figure it out.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Balance can be elusive during certain times in our life, Ally. Self-assessing is always a good idea.

      The family is adjusting well, but I am sure I will be going back within the next few months to help out some. He seems to be a very happy baby.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Interesting exercise Maggie. You’ve just given me Reason #166 why I need to read Julia Cameron. My Life Pie is a bit skewed right now. Need to get it back on track. Sounds like you had a delightful couple of days. Congratulations on the new grandson. Best wishes to mom, baby and family.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I find most times some aspect of my life is skewed. We tend to give too much to some areas and not near enough to others.

      Thank you for your kind wishes. We are all feeling very blessed.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Hi Maggie so glad you are back, you have been missed. I am so pleased all is well and the baby is safely delivered and that the whole family are doing well. It is a huge upheaval for the whole family when a newbie arrives.
    I hope you are on the road to recovery be safe and happy 😊 💜💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Here are my answers, Maggie.
    1) Being retired took a lot of adjusting to. During my working life, having to work shifts meat I had little balance, as everything had to be centred around my working rota. Since not having to work after 2012, I ‘created’ a routine by getting Ollie, and having to do dog walks every day. I also still do all the shopping and cooking, so my daily life is generally divided into thirds. One third is taken up by blogging/writing/ photography and other interests.. One third revolves around Ollie; long walks, playing with him, Vet trips, etc. The remaining third is cooking dinner, spending the evening with my wife, and sleeping.
    2) Answered above.
    3) They rarely get hectic, in all honesty. But a long walk in the countrside always gives me a ‘reset’.
    4) I have no children, and live a long way from family and friends. Because of that, I do not feel any flow in and out of my life. I live each day more or less like a ‘Groundhog Day’. Many would hate that routine, but I take comfort from it.
    5) As I do not feel lopsided, I don’t have need of the chart.
    Best wishes, and congratulations on your baby grandson. Pete.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for your kind wishes, Pete.

      I think retirement works differently for all of us. The fact that you developed a routine that seems pretty well balanced and includes physical activity is to be commended.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. First…congratulations to all on Xander’s arrival! I’m sorry to hear the long drive home ended with a trip to urgent care, though. Hope you’re feeling better, Maggie. I love that you’re focusing on self-care in your post. Just yesterday in a chat with Elizabeth/EA Wickham and Wynne, the topic of “The Artist’s Way” popped up in conversation. Another recommendation from you? I’ll need to check out Julia Cameron’s book and the exercise you described. Thank you! 😘

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Vicki. Welcoming a new baby into the world is truly one of life’s greatest gifts.

      I had a love/hate relationship with parts of “The Artist’s Way”. Morning pages were hard for me, but overall I enjoyed the process.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. That’s a big baby! Congratulations! Glad everyone is doing well, but boo you got sick on the way home. No fun. Kids may be adorable, but they sure pack a lot of germs. It really is the sweetest thing to watch a child fall in love with their baby sibling. I saw it with my girls, and now my grands are the same. Mistye-yed here…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Paula. He was larger than we expected although mom had very little room of her own toward the end! ☺️

      The bond between these siblings is truly a joy to behold. The love is so evident. 🥰

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Congratulations Maggie! It’s absolutely time to care for yourself and re-adjust to life as you know it. Love the questions- I will be pondering over those for a bit as tomorrow my daughter and family are leaving for Colorado and a new life journey so it’s time for me to re-access I think.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. New life journeys can be so exciting but leaving one another presents challenges, doesn’t it? I wish your daughter and her family all the best.

      Like

  11. Pingback: Finding My Balance | Light Motifs II

  12. Congrats to you and your entire family on Xander’s arrival! Wow, ten pounds… that’s awesome! I tried The Artist’s Way for a bit but never finished it. Since I am blind, I cannot draw, but I do think it’s interesting to give my life pie some thought.

    I have a question though, do we need to answer your questions or is a general ramble post on the topic of balance appropriate for this meme-thingy too?

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Pingback: Trying to Live a Balanced Life – A Multitude of Musings

  16. I forgot all about the piece of pie from The Artist’s Way, so thanks for the reminder. I DO remember the morning pages and artist’s date and practice them whenever the need arises (maybe not often enough to help myself stay in balance). Congratulations on adding a new family member—the amazing 10.5 pound baby Xander. A big fella with a fabulous nickname. Enjoy enjoy, enjoy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is a simple tool that allows us a glimpse into our lives. When I stop and evaluate my life, I often find at least one area that is really off kilter.

      We are thrilled with the new addition to our family. I cannot wait for my next visit.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. How wonderful that they are carrying on creating a loving family in a state that increasingly gives me the creeps. I rejoice with you and them. My grandson was so large that my daughter heard the doctor say “My God!” I see your daughter followed suit.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Elizabeth, the nurses reassured us with tales of 12 pound babies recently delivered so he wasn’t the biggest. It is hard watching what is happening in Florida but hopefully people in the rest of the country are taking notice if that buffoon ever gets on the ticket.

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.