Less is not always More

Over the last few years, I have spent much time and energy on finding what is best to fill our life with. I have tried to learn when to say yes, and when to say no. I have worked to fill my soul, empty my closets, fill our buckets, empty our schedules, fill our creativity and use less of our data plan. I have been on a cleaning out frenzy. Less stuff, less commitments, less busy, less drama and less complaining. This has been invigorating and sometimes exhausting. As I kept saying no, the “no” became easier and easier. It became so easy that I realized, I didn’t even think before I said “no”. I became really good at it. I became really confident in my no’s. It didn’t matter if everyone else was saying yes….our family needed no….sometimes.

Then one day I thought, maybe there are some things that we need a “yes” to sometimes, and maybe sometimes there are things we might need more of instead of less of….sometimes or maybe even all the time. So the balance of life continues, as we all know. I have come to the realization that my life will never be balanced. It is not a state of being that I will reach, like a position. A balanced life is something that I will be working on every day, one day at a time….just like my health, my relationships and parenting. It just doesn’t reach a point where we don’t have to nurture it anymore. This is life.

Some days we are giving ourselves more of something and some days we are working to get less of something else. Funny thing is, we have even found that some things can go both ways….some days we need more activities and some days we need less activities. Some days we need more quiet time and some days we need less quiet time. Some days we need more socializing and some days we need less.

Through the process of striving for less judgement, less anger, less complaining and less comparison, we then had to be sure to fill it up with more Jesus, more Joy, more Laughter and more Encouragement. Sometimes you work so hard on one, you realize you aren’t working on the other. Sometimes you realize you are just working so hard, so it is best to just lighten up and let it all be.

For this we need an open mind, an open heart and the ability to know what we need, what others need and to be supportive and respectful of each.

Live to please God,  not others, and decisions become easier.

Here’s to balance. Hopefully we all get to feel it and reap the benefits of it….sometimes.