Life in the Fast Lane...

Hi, Everyone!
Susie Larson here...

I feel like a putz.

Ever felt like that?

I'm moving so fast and juggling so many things that some of the balls are dropping!

It's time for me to purse my lips and say the word "no" when I know I should. It's time for me to play. If I can echo the turtle star on the Comcast commercials, I need a little "me-time."

I love the picture above because it was taken on Thanksgiving day of last year. We had beautiful weather and a field full of family members playing football. I wasn't juggling that day and so my hands were free to catch the ball...the football.

Back in my fitness days, we talked about a little thing called homeostasis which describes our body's effort to find a new level of balance when we place a new demand on our systems. If I am used to running 5 miles an hour and I step it up to 6 miles an hour, I'm going to struggle at first, but only until I find a suitable pace that will allow me to sustain that speed for a long period of time.

What does that have to do with the author? Well for me, it's a reminder that we also need to pace our schedules.

If we're lethargic, we need to take some initiative and get the creative juices flowing.

If we've been running a while, we need to make sure we're not burning up our muscle by pushing too hard or too far.

How about you?

Are you pacing yourself?

I think life in the author/speaker lane is a race that requires some strategy.

Sometimes we have to sprint, sometimes we have to slow the pace because we have a marathon ahead of us.

Either way, we have to pay attention to the little things.

For me, I've made a few errors lately, things that are out of character for me. That's how I know that I need to pull back, say no for a while, play a little bit, and get my legs under me again.

A lady recently told me that her husband (who is a farmer) fired an employee because he took several naps over the course of his long work day.

She then said, "Unfortunately, it's taken three men to do his job. My poor husband is paying three times what he paid for the one napping man. Apparently those little rest-breaks made him ultra productive."

Sometimes our work can feel like the most important thing in the world. And it is important stuff.

But we really need not take ourselves too seriously. Seriously.

If we don't have time to grab lunch with a friend once in a while, we are too busy.

I want to last long and finish strong and I'm sure you feel the same way.

I pray you'll find moments this week to play, to rest, and to work really, really hard.

Life is good and God is faithful!

This week I posted about what it means to abide in the Vine. I titled my blog, "Inseparable."

Check it out if you're interested:
Susie's Blog...

And here's my quarterly Ezine in case you're interested:
Susie's Ezine...

Have a blessed, and playful week!

Comments

[Kristi Holl]

So much wisdom in today's post! Thanks for the reminder--and the "permission" to live like sane writers. I think this is a juggling act that we'll have to deal with all our lives. Thanks for the breath of fresh air today!

[Susie Larson]

Dear Kristi,

Thanks for stopping by!

You are so right. When we look at this call as a "lifestyle" and not so much in light of "the next pressing project that is screaming for my time" I think we'll last longer and the journey will be much more enjoyable.

God bless you!