Life Is Not a Race
By Margaret Daley
I read what Rick Warren said about having margins in your
life. I thought about it a lot since then and realize how important that is.
Having boundaries in your life means having breathing room, taking time to
relax and enjoy life. Americans are too driven. We work more and sleep less. We
are wearing out our bodies and mind. We run from one thing to the next.
I am going to work this year to put margins into my life. I
know that situations change and some margins I plan will suddenly disappear but
that’s what margins are for. If I have a book deadline and a family crisis
happens, I hope that I have built in some extra time so I won’t panic on top of
having to deal with the crisis. That just adds more stress on top of stress.
And stress is not good for our bodies. I discovered that when I ended up in the
emergency room with skyrocketing blood pressure.
So take time to breathe, enjoy life and put some boundaries
in your life. Learn to say no when you need to.
Posts
Such wise advice, Margaret! We do rush about frantically (myself included). It is important to take time to slow down, breathe and notice life around us. Too often I get tunnel vision and focus on the wrong thing (the deadline instead of the person who desperately needs my attention). Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Margaret. For me, I find technology can become a burden in my life. It's so useful, yet it can easily eat up precious hours I could spend with my family. It's all about balance.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I kept track of what I did in a week. No fun! Now my son is eight and has soccer plus cub scouts. I'm definitely looking at my margins. But, I find that stepping out of positions is bittersweet.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I definitely need to set some margins.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with Karen about the importance of balance...which is what margins provide.
ReplyDeleteThanks for an insightful post, Margaret, that so many of us needed to read.
I totally agree, Margaret! Finding balance for some of us takes time but once we get there... oh how sweet it is :)
ReplyDeleteI love the term margins, will try to think in those terms.
ReplyDeleteLast December I strongly felt the need to "be present." It was something I felt called to do for the holidays. It was a great time! And I think my family appreciated it.