I have to admit that I’m a bit envious of the people who are using this season of pandemic to embrace a slower pace, learn Spanish or take up quilting. It seems there’s a whole bunch of people who suddenly have less to do than usual.
That’s not my story. With everyone home, I have more teaching, more cooking, and more cleaning to do, not to mention the special attention and care that is necessary when everyone is a little off kilter. I don’t seem to have the time or the emotional energy to get all of the things done that I’d planned.
Months ago, I was revisiting a model of having, doing and being. My own words are coming back to me now.
“I am a task-oriented, list-loving person, so I am most comfortable in the realm of doing, but I’ve been wondering what would happen if I listed who/how I plan to BE each day rather than what I plan to DO. At the end of the day, rather than measuring success solely by how many things I accomplished, I could assess whether I showed up in the way I intended.”
The state of the world means I can’t DO all of the things I thought I would. Sure, I’m staying busy each day, but it’s not in the way I’d imagined. It’s brought me back to listing who I want to BE and using that as my measure of success at the end of the day. And no matter how the day ends, I always get to try again.
I am a generous wife.
I am a joyful parent.
I am faithful in transition.
I am open to possibilities.
What’s on your list?