My kids know me to be hopelessly romantic especially evidenced by my love of Hallmark movies.  I find the predictable plot line of a Hallmark movie to be soul soothing.  When my world, or the broader world around me is fraught with chaos, I can always count on a Hallmark movie to provide me some romance, peace, security, and a happy ending.  It’s also totally useless and unproductive time.  Something that I am learning to embrace, since my life has always been totally focused on achievement.  I call myself a recovering achievement addict (see breaking the achievement addiction blog part 1).  Yet I AM tracking the movies I watch on Hallmark using their app and am close to 85% achievement.  But this tracking is purposeful, because it’s totally useless and I see it as the antithesis of achievement!!!  And that is an astonishing realization and one that is providing me significant healing.  I have worked incredibly hard all my life, always having a plethora of things to do, lists of tasks to accomplish, meetings to have, money to make, people to impact.  But now, in my 50’s, I am much more thoughtful about the things I take on. I hesitate, sometimes overnight or a couple of days before saying YES to anyone or anything.  Because every time we say yes to one thing, we are saying no to something else.  I am cautious about not overextending myself.

‍

Don’t get me wrong, I am still totally overextended.  I have 4 kids, 4 dogs, a husband, several properties, a relatively new business, and 4 elderly parents.  What I am doing, however, is ensuring that I have a balance of activities in my life that are totally for me.  Things that make me feel grounded and whole, supported, and loved.  I have a “material girls” club that I attend every Monday morning with 3 older women who have survived the parts of life that I’m currently going through. The provide me hope and perspective, support, and love.  I have two spiritual friends who connect with me through a devotional app or texts.  They provide grounding and a net to catch me when I’m spiraling out of control.  These two women are incredibly intuitive and know just when to call me. I have a group of “Starfish Sisters” that I have met over the years that inspire me.  And I have a business partner who is one of my best friends.  We work really hard, and she knows me so well and can tell when it’s time to take an hour break and get our nails done so that we can be as productive as we need to be for our clients.  We create a balance that is super effective, loving, soul satisfying and life giving.  This is what we seek to bring each of our clients.  Living it ourselves is how we stay grounded enough to bring life to others.