The Road to Simplicity Began While Running on Empty
It is not popular to question the status quo...it is weird even. To consider a slower pace of life or hop off the hamster wheel of busyness is rarely done. In an attempt to not lose our minds or relationships with one another, we have started opting for slowness and simplicity.
Last year my journal was
totally depressing. It was filled
with pages of lamenting and whining about the busyness of life and in it I complained that I felt I was running on empty.
Our lives were way too full and the daily schedule was
suffocating me. On the outside, most days I was holding it together--but the inner
turmoil was crushing. I felt
defeated and like a bad mom, a bad trainer, a bad wife, a bad friend, a bad
daughter/sister…you name it, I felt BAD.
On paper we had a great life! Unfortunately we had filled our lives with so many things that we loved--we were losing a bit of ourselves in the process. It was all good stuff...just too much good stuff!
Maybe I long for slowness because I am an Indiana girl. We lived in a small town and did not “hustle
and bustle” growing up. Team
sports were not crazy competitive like they are here--certainly not in elementary school! The sleepy town would shut down around 9pm and
was quiet…I’m talking crickets.
Maybe it was a longing for my kids to have an "Indiana childhood"…or for me to
have a slower Indiana life. But
the truth was I felt that I was constantly running from carpool, to work, to
preschool, to the grocery store, to the elementary school, then to a practice,
then home quickly to eat something and then back down to work or rushing to put the
kids to bed so than I might complete household chores and prep for
the next day. I am exhausted
typing this and this only speaks of the activities never mind the the relationships in my life that
needed to be cultivated. Where
was there time to rest, to play, to look my children in the eyes and truly
listen, to share a meal together, to go for a walk after dinner or hold hands
with my husband??? The answer: there
was none and I was coming
undone.
I began to wonder how in the
world I could ever find relief because I KNEW this was not life to the full. I saw
others that lived much more simply and I began to long for their lives. They ate meals at the dinner table with
their family, they had gardens, and they did thoughtful intentional things for
others because they had time to do so.
They also appeared to have patience with their children because they
were not shuffling them to every activity under the sun, they were not rushing
through bedtime routines because they had 20 other things to check off the list
before they themselves went to bed.
They seemed to enjoy a slow evening and even “connection” time with their hubby
was celebrated not resented. Their
lives were not boring they were sane.
So I did something that made
absolutely no sense--but all the sense in the world: I decided to cut my workload in ½. I ended class times that were not
convenient to my family. It was PAINFUL as I adored
the women that I worked with.
The style of training that we do is so personal…it is a job that I
love. I knew the “feel” in
my studio would be different and the financial ramifications that it had on our
home as well as on my business partner were significant. Yet, that one
decision created an immediate sense of relief, peace, and slowness in our home
that we had not felt in years. It was what I hungered for and had been
begging God to give. I even saw my
children’s stress level begin to lower and my relationship with my kids and my
hubby exponentially improved. This
choice was the catalyst for a whole new mentality in our home. One that is focused on preserving
our sanity…one that focuses on true
simplicity and hearts of service.
Simplifying looks different for everyone. Whether we are simplifying our schedules or our "stuff," this type of effort can bring a great deal of peace to our lives. So I know that every journey looks different and cutting your workload in 1/2 may not be the best option for you. The results from the "after effect" are what really matter. I am hoping I might be able to share a few ways to make decisions that will create this type of peace in your home as well!
Our family is on the journey—we
have not arrived but I am passionate
about this subject and excited to see where God is going to take us as we
simply surrender. My next few
blogs are going to reveal several areas of our lives that God has shaken up and
even wrecked us a bit. It is
humbling to write about all of the ways that I have “missed it.” But I believe
that growth happens when we own our actions as well as share them with others
so that they might avoid some of the potholes we hit along the way!
May You Be A Blessing and May
You Find SLOWNESS…
Jenni
Labels: Slowness and Simplicity