priorities

When I was a little girl and my Grandpa Jack came to town we would go to Bishop’s Buffet.  The goal every time was to have enough room on your plate at the end of the long line of food so that you could get a piece of their famous and delicious french silk pie.

Learn to Leave Room for the Good Stuff

Once, we sat down we would find out if our eyes were too big for our stomach.  Would we actually be hungry enough after eating all of our food to actually eat the pie? The first few times I was so sad I had over-committed and missed out on the pie.  However, I learned with time what I could handle and still enjoy the good stuff.

 

Life is Like An All You Can Eat Buffet

Sometimes, life feels like an all you can eat buffet.  Your plate gets so full with lots of awesome and fun commitments that sounded like great ideas when you said yes but, then over time you feel like your eyes are bigger than your stomach.  Life is too short to miss out on Bishop’s french silk pie, trust me, and it’s also too short to have an over-committed plate.

 

 

Our Plates Have Been Cleared

For the first time, maybe ever, our plate literally has been emptied of nearly every non-essential extracurricular activity. No more evening activities. No more weekend activities.  No more sports.  No travel.  No events. 

It’s been cleared and as a result, we have a tremendous gift. 

 

How Will You Fill Your Plate?

We have an opportunity moving forward, should we choose to take it. We can carefully choose what goes back on our plate. Yes, we get to choose. You can fill your plate with what you like.

New signups for fall are starting to hit our inboxes. Before you, just sign-up, take a moment and listen closely to your heart. To your children’s heart.

What have you missed?

What are you not missing at all?

Why are you signing up for that activity?

Is it guilt, because it’s “what you do”, you have always done it or everyone else is doing it.  Or is it because it truly fills you up and is a passion.

You have the opportunity right now to fill your plate on purpose.

 

Not All Plates are the Same

It might not look like it did before, maybe it will look exactly the same. However, before you fill it up, l contemplate WHY an activity is worthy of valuable space on your plate.

It won’t look like your neighbor’s, your friend’s or your sister’s plate. Just like you have different food preferences, we all have different activity preferences.

 

Just Remember…

What this time has taught us is that your plate does not define you.  When everything has been stripped away, you are still you.  There are things you can’t wait to put back on and as a result, they will be even sweeter to enjoy and you will be so grateful they are on your plate.  

What this time has taught us is that a little margin and a little rest can spark creativity, adventure and tiny magic.  I don’t want to lose that, I hope you don’t either.  So, don’t forget to leave margin for the good stuff of life.  

 

Helping Your Kids Check their Plate

It’s important for your kids to learn how to fill their plates too, so I have a free printable for you and your child to fill out together.  What do you want your plate to be filled with?  What do they want to fill their plate up with?  You can signup here and get access to that printable and many others.

 

Check out these other resources – 

5 Tips for Create a Grateful Heart

The Importance of Rest

 

Until next time keep on keeping on with a simple purposeful life!

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