Have You Noticed?

Have you noticed that we're persons of extremes?

As a young mother, I experienced a period of life crises:  4 major deaths in my family, one of them my infant son, and a divorce.  Sadly, it is so traumatic to lose a child that 80% of couples separate within one year; most of those end in divorce.  I became that statistic.  I thought my life was over.

My counselor said I needed to give of myself in love.  He asked me who I was loving, and I named my son Jeff.  He and I literally started life over, just the two of us.  My counselor's response was, "Yes, and you're smothering the poor child!"

He was right.  I was so broken over losing one son that I almost destroyed the other.  I am grateful for his wise counsel and for the fact that he helped me to open myself up to life again.

When we don't find balance or peace, we tend to react to what hasn't been 100% effective, throw it out, and embrace it's opposite:

1. Do we teach Phonics or Word Recognition?  Duh!  Both!  Some words can't be sounded out; there are too many words to recognize them all.  Yet we bounce from one extreme to the other.
2. Are we college prep or career?  Duh!  Both!  Every child should graduate from our high schools with both the ability to go to the college or university of their choice and with a sell-able skill.  Yet we bounce from one extreme to the other.
3. Do we protect our children from life or let them learn for themselves?  Duh!  Both!  If we hold on too tight, we fill them with our own insecurities and thwart their growth.  If we hold too loosely, they feel insecure because they have no boundaries...thus no point of reference.  Yet we bounce from one extreme to the other.
4. Do we stay in a job that doesn't fulfill us or embrace our passion?  Duh!  Both!  If we simply quit that job to find our passion, we can't fulfill our current responsibilities.  We are rarely successful with our passion if we are irresponsible.  If we work a job that doesn't challenge and excite us, we lose passion for life.  We must find balance.  Marriages have ended over this issue!  Yet we bounce from one extreme to the other.
5. The list goes on...

How have you found balance in your life?  In your work?
How have you found peace between your passion and your responsibilities?

I'd love to hear from you.