Much Ado About Much To Do
08 Friday May 2015
Written by Michelle in Better Behaviour, Living your Purpose
Tags
Art business, blessings, busy, getting through life, Happiness at Work, Over-commitment, passionate living, seizing opportunity, too much to do
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I was exhausted last week and I’m still exhausted. It sounds so trite and whiney and passé….but, its true. Hmmmmmffffff!
I like to believe I’ve learned a few things in my life, one of them being the benefit of balanced living, but when opportunity knocks – you should probably answer the door. And, when you say you’re going to do something, you’d better darned tootin’ do it – especially if you’ve made that commitment to someone else. Between the two, a person ends up…well…busy.
Lucky for me, opportunity’s been beating down my door lately…and for that, I am extremely grateful. Also, lucky for me, some people value whatever “that thing” is I have to offer, so they request assistance from time to time. The challenge becomes how to take advantage of cool things that come my way, while still trying to maintain some semblance of balance. I have to say THIS to balance:
“When you depart from me sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave.”
~William Shakespeare
Oh, and gratitude…let’s not forget that. Gratitude may (and should) be the MAIN focus of it all.
I’m over-committed; I should be committed. (click to Tweet) And, as I write 
this, I realize I’m being a sad, little troll and even if it feels like a long race, it does have a finish line. It’s really rather amusing that I feel free to throw myself a very public pitty-party. I should be so ashamed it exhausts me. (click to Tweet). But, I’m not. Ashamed, that is.
It happens from time to time. Don’t we all do it…now and again? Looking a week in advance, I see I have NOTHING scheduled. Next week I’ll have two wonderful art shows behind me, another one a comfortable distance ahead of me, a supportive family and friends and a heart still spilling over with gratitude. Next week, I’ll stop the glorification of busy and re-establish precious balance. I’ll take my mulligan…my do-over. I’ll re-establish order and balance…next week. I guess it’s sort of like confession. Rather than a clean soul, I’ll emerge with a bright, shiny, psyche. AMEN!
Until then, I’m signing off, because I have….
A Lot To Do,
Michelle Andres is a writer and artist. She writes this blog to share 
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13 Comments
May 13, 2015 at 8:24 pm
I think it happens to everyone and especially women. Learning to say no to some things takes practice.
May 14, 2015 at 3:18 am
Yes, Linda! I’ve written about saying not a LOT! Here’s a post called, “No, No, Numbnut.” http://michelleandresart.com/2014/10/saying-yes-much/ All the things I said, “yes” to were important and good. I can rest this week…thank Heavens!
May 13, 2015 at 8:59 pm
Yes, right now I am certainly feeling much ado about much ado. I am swamped with things I have said yes to and swamped with things I feel I should be doing. Enough. I am going to sit down now and get sorted. Work out which are the short term goals and which are the long term goals. Thank you!
May 14, 2015 at 3:15 am
Love your comment, Kelly. I know I’m not the only one! Sometimes, big stuff you can’t (and shouldn’t) say no to arises…at a rather inconvenient time. BUT, was made to power through…and then power down. Thank you!
May 13, 2015 at 9:08 pm
It is so easy to let things stray in a way that doesn’t serve us well and not so easy to get back on track. I was in that pattern of doing to much and mostly for others and have been working for a couple of months to get things back into alignment.
May 14, 2015 at 3:14 am
It takes, WAY longer to get back into alignment than I expected, Michele. Almost a month later I finally feel like I’m getting back on track. Thanks for validating me! 🙂
May 14, 2015 at 1:50 am
OMG, right now I’m reading Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte and it addresses this from so many vantage points. Hightly recommend it. I feel ya.
May 14, 2015 at 3:12 am
Thanks for the recommendation, Naomi! I feel like I’ve gotten through the biggest part of it. ~m
May 14, 2015 at 3:19 am
There is good news and bad news about your situation. The good news is “now you know.” The bad news is “now you know.” And the question is what will you choose next? Whenever I find that I have set myself up for something that doesn’t work for me, I take is as a life lesson for next time – to make a choice, a different choice. Given what I have done to set myself up, I realize that I chose it and it didn’t work. I have gratitude, as you pointed out, and appreciation for the experience and lesson and now I also have choice to repeat or refine. I let it all be based on results. If it works, I keep doing it. If it doesn’t, I get to choose something else. I think I just wrote this for me. LOL
Thanks for letting me talk to myself. I have some choices to make.
Thomas Maiello
May 14, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Thanks, Thomas. The conundrum is – I always knew. I chose, knowingly, it all. Too many good opportunities to pass up led to many, many yeses. I knew. I chose. I prospered. I paid. I guess there’s no use complaining since I knew what I was doing. It all worked out. I guess this is when we just buck up and go through it. I’m in recovery mode now. Thank you for trying to help me – lol. I hope your choices are good ones…but if not…they are just choices and we get quite a few “do-overs” in life. Cheers!
May 14, 2015 at 7:41 pm
Ah, yes…..so very busy…..we all are, aren’t we? It’s almost laughable to listen to how some people go on and on about how they are too busy for this or that….I’ve been “too busy” so many times. And every time I came full circle to realize that it’s all relative. We make choices. How much of it will matter in 5 years? 5 weeks? 5 days? Here and now is what matters most. Make time for what’s important. And the rest? Well, who’s got time to worry about that? 😉
May 14, 2015 at 7:50 pm
Here’s to next week, Michele! I hope it is as peaceful as it looks like it will be. And I hope that this phase of over-commitment, as fun as it may be, will ebb into rest and restoration.
May 14, 2015 at 7:57 pm
Congratulations on being in demand. That is a lovely feeling, until it’s not. Right? It is so wonderful to have an audience, and to feel the adoration of your fans, and then to go sit awhile and do nothing. May you find your moments between being blessed!