In the perfect world, we would all have the time, opportunity and resources – a list of ingredients for the “optimal” life balance experience .
I want to reiterate that what I choose to share on my blog are merely suggestions and possibilities that could potentially contribute to your personal state of well being .
Although I still have COVID symptoms that are hanging on with a vengeance, I am so thankful to still be alive and that I was never forced to be hospitalized. My symptoms are definitely annoying but I am learning to manage them and there are days when I can function at a fairly high level.
I recognize that I am privileged on so many levels and this is not everybody’s reality.
I am still gainfully employed and love my job ; I have excellent support from family , friends and colleagues; I live in an amazing part of the world and for all of this I am truly grateful .
Illness has given me the opportunity to discover a new way of being and I want to share what I have experienced and continue to learn . I am doing my darndest to integrate lessons learned into my daily pursuit of balance. But what I am discovering is that the list of ingredients is so long , it’s impossible to incorporate everything every day . At one point I had to step back because I was feeling so overwhelmed with all of these wonderful resources. Waking up at 4:30am in order to try to fit it all in was not sustainable and defeating the purpose of what I was trying to accomplish !
The realization that the task I had set out for myself – 10 easy steps to full recovery was impossible, so I’m integrating a few daily rituals that have proven helpful and other things over time when I have time. There are days when my routine is thrown off and I am learning to be ok with this. Things do not always go according to plan.
Last weekend my oldest daughter, her partner and their new puppy dropped in for a visit at 9:30 am. I had been sitting peacefully in my chair enjoying my cup of coffee as I watched the birds at my feeder. It was Sunday and I was planning to cook, clean and do yoga. The old me would have felt irritated and overwhelmed with their sudden arrival. The new and improved me, chose to live in the moment and enjoy. I made a wonderful brunch on the fly ; we took the dogs for a long walk and bought a Christmas tree. I decided to decorate the house, listen to music and they ended up staying for supper. When I look back on this day in years to come I will remember what a great day we shared together and I am so glad to have this memory .
The reality is that life happens and interferes with our pursuit of life balance and wellness.
Many of us have responsibilities : caring for others (children, parents, friends in need) and we can’t forget about work .
The business of everyday life can truly interfere with things, especially when we are faced with new challenges such as the effects of a global pandemic .
I believe that it is important to be aware that there are things that we can be doing for ourselves (to help us deal with these challenges. By choosing changes in lifestyle and way of being, we can make a positive impact on many other things..
In the weeks and months to come, I will continue to share some of the ingredients I have discovered during my quest for life balance and wellness.
Until the next time….
Coffee & Chardonnay 
Leave a Reply