Many of you may not know that I have a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. All throughout high school, my career goal was to become a research scientist with a focus in studying immunology. Early on in my life, I was fascinated by how the immune system worked and filled with compassion for those who had immune compromised disorders and diseases, lupus, AIDS, arthritis, etc. Chemistry was fun and intriguing for me. So, you may be asking what does this have to do with my post? In a chemical equation, the substances are at their best at equilibrium, which means that sometimes they have more of one part than the other. It’s never equal or balanced, but overall, it shifts back and forth between the reactants and the products.
This is just a catchy way to express that that we need to have this in our lives. We can never achieve the “perfect balance” among all aspects of our lives. Sometimes, we have to work more than we like. Other times, we get to spend more time with family and friends than we normally had the opportunity to do. Sometimes, we have to work at teaching and disciplining our children, while other times we get to have fun with them. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of work for school, lesson planning, posting assignments, working on paper work for students, getting ready for meetings, so on and so forth. I haven’t had much time to do the things that I would like to do to feel good about life.
But that’s equilibrium. I’ve had to make some sacrifices of my writing so that I can put some things into place so that in a week or two, I’ll be able to go back to writing on a more frequent basis. Yet, I haven’t completely stopped writing. I have been able to sneak a couple of hours over the last few weeks to finish my notes on the next book I’m preparing to draft. I’m pretty routine and scheduled in how I arranged my time throughout the week. I’ve had to become less rigid and accept the fact that I might not be able to get everything accomplished that I first set out to do. Again, equilibrium. I’ve learned to take a step back from the busyness of life and look at the big picture of my life. I ask myself, am I finding that I’m taking care of my responsibilities, enjoying my privileges, and taking care of myself, family and friends? If I can say yes, even to the smallest degree, then I’m doing alright.
It’s not an easy thing to do for someone like me who relies on to do lists to provide a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. But it has been essential for me as the overachiever and overthinker to let go of those worries and anxieties and enjoy the journey of my life.
Harry L. Estes 