Creating Margins in Your Life

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan

When I started writing, one of the rules I’d heard was to be sure there is plenty of white space on the page. As a newbie writer, I wondered what that meant. Then I learned it referred to having a good balance of dialogue and introspection to ensure the reader isn't overwhelmed by all the words on the page. Dialogue on a page creates white space. It breaks up line after line of complete sentences.

Another rule in writing is proper manuscript formatting. Writers were advised to create 1" margins on all sides of their manuscripts. Manuscripts with 1" margins appear clean and uniform, offering space for comments...before Track Changes, of course.

Creating white space and margins in our lives allows us to clean out the clutter and extra busyness that bogs us down. Filling every moment of our waking hours causes extra stress as we struggle with juggling more and more activities and events.

For nineteen years, I owned and operated an in-home business that demanded a lot of my time, including trainings in the evenings and on Saturdays. Additionally, I took care of my family, taught Sunday school, attended school functions for my boys, and if life wasn’t crazy enough, I went back to school. I had to develop better time management skills as I struggled with my daily juggling act. Once I started writing on deadline, something had to change. I needed to be mindful of creating margins in my life.

Instead of constantly adding to my life, I needed to reevaluate my priorities and eliminate unnecessary busyness that was crowding my margins. We’re all in different seasons of our lives, and those seasons will dictate what kinds of margins are maintained. Additionally, I needed to make sure I was making intentional time with the people most important to me.

Creating white space hasn't been easy as I've had to make some difficult decisions, but my life feels calmer and less stressed. And I have more time to enjoy the people and activities I love.  

What are you doing to create margins in your life?

Worrying about something? Here, take my hand. I have something to show you.

 It's me, Barbara Phinney, who, way up here in the chilly north, has a little note to you about worrying. Okay, all of us have worried at some point in our lives. And even if you don't believe the Bible, this verse, found in Matthew 6:27, rings true for all of us.

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"

But we continue to mull an event, a concern or decision over in our minds. Yes, it's easy enough to tell someone not to worry, and it's easy enough to tell yourself not to worry, but it is a totally different thing to NOT WORRY.
Let me submit to you something here to help if you're worrying about something and struggling over it.
First up, I understand. I worry and fret and even if I have decided something and I feel better for it, I still mull it over and over. (You should see me just making flight arrangements) Yes, I am totally sympathetic to your plight. I offer you now a big cyber hug. 

HUG!!!

Now, we're going to work on not worrying. And we're going to fail and fall a few times, but we will get up again. We're going to be like those mii characters in the Wii Fit running program, that while running, fall down. But they get up again.
It's tough to stop worrying, and as a Christian, I need to physically extend my arms in front of me and give away my worry. 

Then, about an hour later, I have to do it again. And I have to tell God to pry that stupid worry from my clutches because I have picked it up again.
I am learning some skills at not worrying. I am no therapist. I am no counselor with oodles of coping skills and exercises at my disposal. But I am something with experience at worrying and someone who offers understanding.
Keep busy. Smile to yourself. Remind yourself that you have given over the worry to someone else. If you aren't a Christian, you don't have to say you've given it to God. Let me tell you, this isn't about your faith. This is about letting go of a negative issue. 
Yes, you can ask God to take the worry, but we all know you'll pick it up again. Allow me to give you permission to do that. Someone out there may say that's not Biblical, but it's honest, and honesty about yourself is important. Why am I saying you can pick up that worry again? Because I don't want you to feel like a failure when you do and add to your stress. You're not a failure for doing this. Like me, you'll stumble and fall, but like that mii character in the Wii Fit running session, you will get up again. 

Just remember to get up again. And if God has left that worry lying in front of you, 'pick' it up and hand it back to Him. Physically. 
When I do the Wii Fit  exercises, I do terribly. It's going to take practice. But I will get better. And you will also get better at not worrying. 
Here is a big cyber nod to you and your stress for the day. You're not alone, but you can conquer your situation. Just as I will.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to pick up something that Someone has left at my feet and hand it back over to Him.

Ask Elnora--About Pain??? Lenora Worth

Hello, my darlings. Elnora is grumpy today. My bad back is not happy. Not sure what I did (no high heels, no late night dancing, not even a shopping spree) but my back has slipped its dripper, so to speak. I'm in agony. I can't get my much-needed beauty sleep and sitting at my desk is not pleasant, either. Actually, it's a temporary desk until my real one can be installed at our "retirement condo". But Elnora isn't ready to retire just yet and Bad Back, take warning. I will fight you!! Sigh. Anyway, after another sleepless night I got to wondering--how do you cope with pain? Pills, acupuncture, massages??? All of those sound divine to me right about now. And do you find that doctors tend to pat you on the head and tell you to learn how to deal with stress??? I'll show them stress! Elnora with a bad back is not pretty. So ... let's talk about coping with physcial pain even when we have to (as Elvis, bless his heart, would say) take care of business. No pity party here. Just a discussion on how it seems to me a lot of writers suffer from back problems and other physical ailments. But you know what Elnora says-- "As long as my fingers can walk me through a plot, I will stay with this keyboard!" Even if I'm in a hunka, hunka burning pain!

Hurry, Christmas is almost here!

Pat Davids here.
Christmas is fast approaching. Everywhere people are rushing to get things done. Rushing to shop and wrap the prefect gifts. Rushing to bake goodies. Rushing to clean and decorate the house. The world is in a rush to make it all perfect before Christmas Day. Hurry, hurry, hurry, there are only ten days left!

Whoa.

Stop a moment.

Take a breath.

Take another breath.

Take one more. Make it deep this time. Breathe in…in…in as deep as you can. Now blow it all out…out…out for as long as you can.

Good. Do it again. Take a deep breath. Blow it out.

Your blood pressure has just gone down by ten points - my gift to you this holiday season. The madness of this time of the year is part of the fun, it really is, but don’t let it become a source of stress. Take care of yourself. Remember to slow down and just breathe.

If you need a little longer down time, I suggest you mix up a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with a good Love Inspired book. Like The Christmas Quilt by me. (Shameless self-promotion here.) This Amish story of a second chance at love will give you the opportunity to forget for a few hours about the rush and ruckus our lives have become and slip into a simpler, kinder world. Your blood pressure will go down another ten points.

Here is my Christmas wish for you.
May the holidays find you Merry and Bright at the end and sorry to see them go.