What threads (choices), make up your quilt of life?
Over time, I have made many choices; some come with many benefits and others impacted aspects of my life that I was not expecting. Each of these choices, I think of as threads—the job thread or the family thread, for example. Each choice has made its own impact and some have launched me in directions I had no intention of going and others have been launching pads for my next life lesson or point of elevation. Either way, I had to first recognize my choices and then accept responsibilities for the threads in my life.
As an impactful woman, we are often gripping many threads at once, trying to keep them straight, hanging on for dear life in fear of letting one down.
• Mother
• Employee
• Wife
• Caretaker
• Daughter
• Housekeeper
• Supporter
• Carpooler
• Volunteer
. . . the list goes on. We are expected to interweave all these threads, to move easily between and among them, and never get them tangled! It’s tough to do and more times than not, we are forced to make tough decisions that ultimately sacrifice one or more threads.
How do we weed through all the expectations and the choices we are no longer sure of, evaluate each one, find what’s missing, choose what makes sense, and then weave each thread into some type of lovely harmonic pattern? Many of us are so busy maintaining the status quo, untangling threads, smoothing, fixing, running, working that we do not realize the quilt we’ve created which may lack the harmony we need to be our best!
How does your quilt of life look?
Have you ever thought of your life as a series of threads? It may be an interesting new perspective and you may even be surprised by the results of the life you have created.
I’m learning to embrace some threads and change others. Given the chance, I wouldn’t undo any of the choices I’ve made at that particular time since each success, each challenge, and every single disappointment has brought me to where I am today. I will admit that what I’ve come to realize is that it is OK to let go of some threads, change the direction of others so the primary threads have the capacity to be bold and effective.
All of us can admit that our lives may resemble a “crazy quilt” at times.
Purposeful women give themselves the responsibility to step back out of what can be a tangled mess, and look with honest eyes at how things might fit more comfortable and ultimately – which threads we can do without.
If you are a quilter you know that there is typically a color theme and a dominant color palate. What is your dominate thread? Which part of your life has the most value? If you could only pick one thread forever and ever – which thread can you not live without?
Tough questions, it is all a matter of putting things in perspective.
So for TODAY – step back and look at the fabric of your life. What are all your threads? Which are the most important? Which do you spend the most time with? Do you spend the most time with the threads that are the most important or the ones that seem to tangle more frequently?
Okay – enough with the sewing analogy here. You get the point. Do you spend the majority of your focus on what you love the most?
If the answer is no – what one thing can you do today that will change your focus?
The article that will help you Establish your Priorities
