Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The difference between DOING and BEING

After a month and a half-long hiatus from the blogosphere (do people still use that term? I've been gone for so long, I really don't know), I'm simply posting to send you to another post I read that was very poignant and spot-on for me.

First, go here to read Erin's post about the difference between doing and being.

Then, read my thoughts on the subject:

Erin's story is one I struggle with every day. While I don't have a child, I try to be everything to everyone. Need a babysitter? Sure! Need me to make 20 pillows and 10 scarves for you by next week? Well, Okay! Want me to come to your little brother's baseball game? I'll be there. I'm a "yes" woman.

What that has led to is a very full life. And while I have experienced a million things I wouldn't have ever experienced otherwise, it has taught me one thing over all others - priorities are important. Saying no to things that don't align with my priorities is more important. Whether that's deciding which community organizations I volunteer for or which friends I spend my lunch with, it all centers around one thing - my priorities.

Now, don't get the wrong idea. I have the hardest time saying no to people I care for. Sometimes, I even have a hard time saying no to people I don't particularly care for. But, the hardest part for me, is admitting to myself that I can't be everything to everyone. I'm only one person, and as such, I have my limits. I long to please, and I strive to make sure the people in my life know they are so very important to me. I want my clients to receive the best finished product as quickly as possible. I want to make sure I'm keeping up with the organizations I've committed my time to. All of that, however, is just "doing." The part I struggle with is just "being." Being okay with my time constraints. Being okay that I can't make everyone happy 100% of the time. Being true to myself and the life I want to lead.

Another concept I struggle with is fulfilling my own expectations for my life. Any given day I can go from loving the job I have now to wanting to be a teacher and then on to wanting to get my PR degree. And then there are days when all I want to do is make pillows. I'm fully realizing how short my life is going to be, and if I want to do any or all of these things, I need to figure it out sooner rather than later.

Just be.

1 comment:

joanna said...

Marek, you are definitely a "yes" woman. I have struggled with this too and can relate to Erin's comment about being "long on ideas." It's easier when you remember that in creating yourself, just like your home, there is no finished product. We are constantly changing and that's how it's meant to be. The process of improving ourselves is what makes life interesting. Love!

p.s. you can totally reject my pillow order if necessary... :)