“They” say, the state of your house reveals the state of your mind. I’m calling “their” bluff. My house currently looks a museum, polished to a shine. Every last baseboard has been magic-erasered, carpets shampood (by yours truly), every closet purged, every bed made, every pillow karate chopped, and every flower arranged just so. It’s as perfect and orderly as it’s ever been. It hit the MLS last night, showings are already booked for today, and we are sending up all the prayers for a home run.
Meanwhile, venture outside to my car, and you’ll find a more accurate measure of the state of my mind.
Last Friday, I was trying to leave a parking lot in Dallas after addressing, yet another, house issue gone awry. I kid you not, I was struggling to shift my car into drive. It was not because there was anything wrong with the car itself. It was because of all the obvious obstructions seen above.
I had to snap this pic as a reminder.
While the house is looking like the home of the Jetsons. I’m making my getaway in my pollen and mud-covered jeep, filled to the brim, with both dogs (and their beds) in tow. Water bottles and makeup bag are permanent fixtures in my car, but clearly things have gotten a little out of hand when the contents of my makeup bag currently includes a 20′ tape measure, a pencil for sketching, the orange marker for items that need to be adjusted, the green for completed items, business cards, toothbrushes, oh, and maybe a little bit of makeup. I can’t shift because the cup holders are filled with random things so the water bottles bubbled up to the top.
Clearly right now, the car isn’t my number one priority.
You’ve long heard me say that I believe the idea of a completely “balanced” life is an elusive myth. It’s an unfair goal to aim for. Life must be lived by priorities and that inevitably leaves the scales always tipped in one direction. The current priority for your family might shift tomorrow, when a new project is due. It might shift next year when you move, a job changes or a child moves into a new season of life.
The beauty of it all is that we get to choose what matters most in each moment.
Today the house is pristine. Today the children are fed and clothed. My car is a jungle that will soon need to be tackled, it’s just not a priority today. Today I will take a breath, for the first time in a couple of days, with the clear understanding that these choices add up over time.
There’s a cost to each choice about priorities.
It’s giving less attention to another. When the price of perfecting one area, is sending another area completely off the reservation, it’s time to evaluate priorities closely. But remember, that imbalance is part of the normal ebb and flow of life.
So take a deep breath today.
Rest assured that you are not alone. Life swings the weights off-balance sometimes and that’s okay. Keep your priorities in check and everything is going to be just fine.
to more love,
Crystal
