Llama Mama-No Problama

REFLECTION: How do you stay true to your needs while also living in a world that requires compromise?

Wants & Needs

I am always working to grow personally and professionally and as a result, I'm often juggling multiple opportunities at one time. This works for me and I love connecting the dots to consider how I'm shaping the bigger picture. It's essential that I know what I need and want to stay balanced when others are asking for their needs to be met.

I had a conversation the other day with a new opportunity and when talking to my husband about it, he expressed concern that I hadn't been able to stick to my boundaries regarding scheduling and he was worried that I might get burnt out. I felt annoyed when he said this but I realized quickly it was because...he was right. (Don't tell him I said that). Burnout was a real possibility.

Walk It Out

I needed to go for a walk and clear my head and though I had wanted to be alone, the dog caught wind of my plans and pranced around until I agreed to let her come and then my 3-year-old did a similar dance around the room and he was granted access to my walk as well. As I soaked in the last half an hour of sunlight walking through the neighborhood, my brain went to a million places, "Do I want to jump into something that will be stressful...but also amazing? How can I continue working on other things I care about? How can I also be present for my family? What do I do?".

Seeing Clearly

I came upon a house with a cream-colored wall, without even a blemish of dirt on its surface, no windows or door...a perfect canvas. The sun was at exactly the right place in the sky as we walked past and my son and I became crisp perfect silhouettes against the backdrop. I immediately began making shadow puppets with my hands, my favorite looked like a tarantula that I'll never again be able to replicate, it looked so good it scared even me, and my child shrieked with fear and enjoyment. It's that energy that I'm going to lean into...I can have reservations and concerns about this opportunity while also feeling motivated and excited. Ultimately working within constraints can have surprising results and at the end of the day, I create my own experience.

(I really couldn't recreate my spider puppet so you will have to settle for the llama above, which is also quite good.)