
Recently, I updated my profile picture on Facebook. In the photo, I’m standing on the deck of our cabin, the forest in the background. A friend commented: Living your best life. And I had to ask myself: Am I really?…[read more]
by CHRIS MADAY SCHMIDT
September 13, 2022
Random Thoughts balance, encouragement, Facebook, help, loads, trouble 2 Comments
Recently, I updated my profile picture on Facebook. In the photo, I’m standing on the deck of our cabin, the forest in the background. A friend commented: Living your best life. And I had to ask myself: Am I really?…[read more]
September 6, 2022
Random Thoughts balance, boundaries, distractions, priorities, time management Leave a comment
In a recent post, I talk about guarding our time by creating boundaries. Lately, however, my own boundaries have blurred—causing my list to “overfloweth.” Yet each task is something I’m “called” to do, which means choosing which one (or 10) must get the axe. But do I really have to eliminate something?…[read more]
February 6, 2020
Life Hacks #selfcare, anger, balance, disappointment, exercise, healthy diet, hurts, laughter, lifestyle, mind-body, sleep, toxins Leave a comment
Usually when I awaken, my mind is fuzzy. A cottony tangle of sleepy remnants harvested over the previous seven hours. Yesterday morning, however, the synapses knitted together a single thought: balancing the mind-body connection. I could ask myself why I attempted to make sense of a topic that begs deeper scrutiny at any time other than 4:15 in the morning. But if I were to venture a guess, I’d say it’s because my sub-conscious was trying to get my attention to validate: I’m out of balance! This led me to check in with Google, which turned up these seven steps as a useful check-and-balance system for re-establishing and maintaining a mind-body connection: 1) take time each day to quiet the mind and pray/meditate; 2) eat a healthy diet; 3) exercise every day; 4) prioritize restful sleep; 5) release emotional toxins (i.e., let go of past hurts, disappointments and anger); 6) nurture loving relationships and 7) enjoy wholehearted laughter at least once daily.
How do you maintain mind-body connection?
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
August 8, 2018
Grief, Uncategorized balance, gifts, grief, imprints, kind, mistakes, strive, the struggle is real 2 Comments
Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. What shall we do with this gift? For some, #thestruggleisreal and their days hang in the balance as they fight for their next breath. While others grieve, strive, win some, lose some, laugh on the outside, cry on the inside. Continue to repeat the same mistakes. Yet, when we break it down, we all reside in a similar place: each of us shares the same 24 hours. And our days are numbered. What if we acted like it? Was that argument I had with my daughter yesterday afternoon worth it? Would she remember the last words I spoke, albeit in anger: “Drive safe”—or, rather, would she remember the sound of the phone line going dead with no goodbye? It’s so easy to forget that our words, our actions, oftentimes leave lifelong imprints on others’ hearts. When we can be anything at all, let’s use our gift to be kind.
How will you use your gift today?
Photo source: http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au.
October 29, 2017
Happiness, Uncategorized balance, burden, commitment, Henry David Thoreau, multitasking, prioritize, sacrifice, simplify, space, surrender Leave a comment
The boss and I were discussing a non-work-related topic and I mentioned “not having time.” He said that depended on the level of importance I placed on accomplishing a particular task. And that it would, of course, require a sacrifice of something else on my agenda. Ah yes, the sacrifice. Herein lies the conundrum: I refuse to surrender a couple big-ticket commitments. Although I’ve unloaded one burden (see “When you run out of margin…”) that will free up space, I still struggle to carve out time to do the things I need to do and those things I want to do. Not to mention the 7-8 hours of sleep I should log in each night. I’ve juggled, rearranged and finagled my morning and evening schedules. I’ve simplified, multitasked, prioritized and modified habits and routines. Yet I continue to wrestle with this challenge. Perhaps the answer is to re-examine my needs and wants to find a balance between the two.
What are you willing to sacrifice for more time?
June 27, 2016
Publishing, Writing balance, commitment, sparkles, super power Leave a comment
With a packed social calendar, this past week I contemplated: if I could possess a super power, what would it be? Without a doubt, I would choose to be in two (or three!) places at once. I’m not sure such a super power exists, but the costume would comprise a tiara and a handful of sparkles scattered in my wake (of course). Lately, I find myself in situations where I am unable to attend one event because I have already committed to participate in another. For example, in a couple of weeks I travel 1,700 miles to my hometown to celebrate with family; however, I will miss two functions ‘back home’ involving my extended family of yoga practitioners. Even yesterday I missed out on a gathering to attend worship service. It’s at times like these when we don’t necessarily choose the better option but, rather, do the ‘right thing…’ because oftentimes juggling our commitments requires balance. Perhaps this is a super power in itself.
What’s your super power?
Image courtesy of vectorolie at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.