“Your greatest strengths, when taken to extremes, become your limitations. Too much self-discipline leads to rigidity, too many goals builds internal stress, pushing the body too hard breaks it down, too much suppression of emotions denies oneself of honest healthy expression… Balance is the key to true health and happiness.” -Dave Barnas

These words very much mimic my 2012, and most years before that. Goal driven through and through, I am famous for getting lots and lots done. Yet at some point toward the end of last year, I somehow could not find my joy any longer; too much planning, too many to-do lists, to many items to scratch off the list… it all became burdensome. Not fun anymore.

And I am all about fun.

I don’t do too well without joy and laughter. There is no energy in drudgery.

My drive just got lost, it simply died, and I could not resuscitate it. Nothing changed, yet everything changed. My strengths had become my weakness. How could that be?

And then Dave Barnas made a lot of sense.

“Your greatest strengths, when taken to extremes become your limitations. Too much self-discipline leads to rigidity, too many goals builds internal stress, pushing the body too hard breaks it down, too much suppression of emotions denies oneself of honest healthy expression… Balance is the key to true health and happiness.”

Yep, that was me.  I lost my balance, and therefore my footing, and my joy as well along the way.

The planning for life got in the way of living. I forgot about the NOW.

I had let go of the simplest of life’s secrets: we must live in the moment.

All of this world’s planning is useless if it removes me from life itself. And as much as I firmly believe in plans and lists and goals and dreams, I am stepping back for a while, and practicing living in the Now.

Because rigidity is really not my friend. I just need clear boundaries. Like no living in tomorrow. Just living right now. I might just like it. And I might return to my zest for life.

That’s my plan for now.

Cultivating Thankfulness with Ann Voskamp

#487 Preparing my home for company

#486 Enjoying Jesus’ presence in my life

#485 Being the recipient of a random act of kindness

#484 Watching a lovely snow falling while nice and warm inside

Sometimes, I link up with any or all of these wonderful writers: Hearts 4 Home, SDG,  Hearts Reflected, WLW, EOA, Things I can’t say, Growing Home, Play Dates with God, Monday Musings, Hear it on Sunday, Inspire Me Monday, Tell me a Story, The Better Mom, a Mama’s Story, Into the Word, In and Around Mondays,OYHT, Gratituesday, Titus2Tuesdays, Extraordinay, Lessons from Ivy, Denise in Bloom, Sweet Blessings, Faith Filled Friday, Finding Joy