I decided to check out the Active Rain contests and came across this one that required us to read sections from a book and then share what we thought. The book began with a scene from "City Slickers", one of my favorite movies, so I decided to keep reading. Then it got serious-LOL and I couldn't quit thinking about chapter one in the book- "The One Thing". It is like someone analyzed my life and said “Here is where you went off track.” The best part is, I now have the tools to go full steam ahead with a lighter load and a singular destination. I recommend reading the entire book!
The Confession:
I am a work-a-holic. It started when I was about 14 and I decided I wanted more in life than what was offered. I knew it was up to me to get it and so I did. I earned money for everything I wanted. I found it was easier to sell handmade items door to door as a kid than to babysit, although I did that too. If I wanted something- anything, I worked until I got it and I always got what I wanted. Sometimes it just required more determination and resilience.
When I met my husband we were teenagers and we both had strong ambitions and goals and we supported one another. I knew that I could achieve anything I wanted to, so I started to put more and more on my plate.
· I was a PTSA or PTSO President in every school district my children attended.
· I ran a paper route in the middle of the night to make ends meet.
· I volunteered for every community need, I thought could use the help.
· I picked up another route during the day on Thursdays, for a local paper.
· I signed my kids up and drove them everywhere for sports so they were active.
· I campaigned for the local levies for the schools and fire dept.
· I made a point of dragging my kids out at 2am to drink cocoa and watch meteor shower or eclipses.
· We Remodeled the house
· I decided to get a real estate license because I wanted to expand my horizons
· I dedicated a ton of time to marketing, showing and catching up at home because I was marketing and showing homes.
· I became a Managing Broker and discovered the incredible impacts of social media
· My husband ran for the State Legislature and I dedicated myself to his election
· A well respected man ran for Governor and guess what I did…I jumped on to help out there too.
· I became the Chairman for my County party
· I am organizing the “Day of Caring” in the North end of our county
· I am organizing an event to raise funds for a needed senior center
· I am planning event(s) every month for the rest of the year
· I should be planning a vacation too, but who has the time?
The book hit home when I read the part about not being able to do all that you want to. The candidate for Governor mentioned that he had to get up early in the morning, to make sure he got his work out in. My response- “How do you find time for that?”
It was the one thing. I could not even balance my day to grab a routine work out but a man running state wide for Governor could. I needed to make a change I knew it, so did my husband and my kids, the next door neighbor, co –workers, friends- etc. but what? I could not possibly cut anything out- right? I had important goals!
Then the campaigns ended and I found myself wondering what was next. I still had a lot on my plate but it didn’t feel like enough. Was I wasting my life? It is now April and I am still trying to focus on everything. That was until about an hour ago.
The Solution:
It is time to get back on 1 track instead of 19. It is time to set singular priorities and stick to them. Sure a million other things might seem like they could enhance the one thing but in the end they just suffocate it. I noticed that I am doing the same thing my kids do when I ask them to do a chore…everything else first and then get so busy they forget the chore altogether.
So it is time that we put our hands up like the ceiling can't hold us…and quit grabbing onto everything else in sight and focus on “The One Thing.”
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