Harmony : The Quality of Forming a Pleasing and Consistent Whole
When it comes to life, I try to seek living in harmony over finding balance - finding the rhythm for each season I’m in. Life isn’t about creating equal space and attention for every area in your life, it’s more about approaching the different areas that overlap and flow from one into the next in a harmonious way. It's about realizing when to push through and when to stop and rest.
For the most part, I think we get caught up in the ever elusive idea of work // life balance and approach it with a skewed perspective. We try to check off each area in our lives every day and then get upset with ourselves when we fail. We try our best to be equally successful in all areas of our lives - but striving for that kind of balance doesn’t allow for much progress. Putting in the same amount of effort everywhere - across all areas of our lives doesn’t allow for significant growth in the areas that are most important for the season we’re currently in. That approach is stagnant, it doesn’t get better or worse - it stays, it maintains, it’s like a see-saw perfectly poised in midair.
But that isn’t life. Life is a series of seasons - be it a moment or a day, a month or years. I believe, rather than trying to check every box every day, it’s more important to focus on what season you’re currently experiencing. Life is a give and take - a back and forth. When we want to grow and experience fulfillment in a particular area of life, we need to lean into that area.
If you’re in a season of starting a business or wanting your business to grow - then give yourself some grace when the house is a wreck. If you’re in a season of growing and investing in your family - then give yourself some grace when your inbox is overflowing.
We can’t do EVERYTHING at once.
Don’t get me wrong - I do believe we can have all the things throughout our lifetime, I just think we get out of whack when we try to have them all at the same time. I think that makes life rushed, hurried and suffocated - leaving no margin or room to breathe.
We’ve only got one life to live and my hope is for people [including myself] to slow down, and take in their lives.
When it comes down to it, seeking a life of balance is a lot like seeking a life of perfection, but living harmoniously means giving yourself and others grace for when it isn’t. Our lives aren’t segmented into perfectly divided portions - they’re messier than that.
Life isn’t a perfectly balanced see-saw - it moves. One side goes up while another side goes down, flowing from one position to the next. Living in the flow of each season and focusing on what you need to give your attention to for that time allows for more progress, it allows for rest, and most importantly it allows for peace.
If you’re currently driving yourself crazy trying to check all the boxes every day - stop. It’s fine - everything is going to be ok. Take some time today, 5 minutes, to sit and breathe and think about what matters most to you. Ask yourself these two questions.
‘What are two ways that I can show up in the area that matters the most to me NOW?’
‘What other areas do I need to cut back on in order to show up in those important areas?’
It’s a simple start to getting yourself aligned with your values and your current season - AND you can do it at ANY time!
Love & Blessings,
Genevieve
