“Just one step. Just one mile. Just one dollar. Just one kiss. Just one person. When we look at life through the lens of ‘one,’ everything becomes that much more attainable.”
I once heard it said there is no balance – only life.
All day long, I’ve been trying to get ahead on meetings, emails, letters and “to-do” lists so that I could find the time to walk the dogs, have a conversation with my partner and enjoy a quiet dinner before I could finally sit down and write this column.
Is that balance? No, it’s life, and it’s messy. As humans, we’re complex, messy and unpredictable. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good life. What are some of the keys? Good health, diet and exercise, as well as time off to reflect, plan and recreate. Financial planning is also important and, as humans, the need to see ourselves as spiritual beings; all good stuff . But how do we manage our busy lives – our financial, physical and spiritual needs? I’ve given up on balance. There’s simply no way I can do it all in one day.
That brings me to my gardener. I enjoy watching him work in our garden because he genuinely seems so happy there. And while watching him work over time, I’ve learned a very valuable life lesson: He doesn’t try to do everything.
Each week he assesses the garden and what it needed. Some weeks he would prune the roses, others he would pay special attention to the Hydrangeas, or on other weeks, the apple trees.
He knew what I’m now discovering: Different parts of our lives need tending to at different times. Some days I need to meet with staff to get reconnected. Some days I spend time on project work. Sure, like grass being mowed, I have email to attend to, but what I really thought was powerful is that I don’t need to do it all today.
I’m still certain I’ll never find balance or even what that means, but I will learn to tend to my garden a bit better. I even hope that slowly my life will begin to blossom under the steady hand of a master gardener.
Travis Rigby, publisher
travis@floristsreview.com
Facebook: TravisRayRigby
Instagram: @TravisRRigby
Twitter: @TravisRigby
