Do you ever ask yourself . . .

Do you ever wonder how hard to push yourself?

For several years, that was my favorite conversation starter with people I hoped to know better. It was personal but unintrusive. They could respond as deeply or as lightly as they chose. It was fine if they veered off in another direction: “Not really, but I sometimes . . .” I invariably learned something about the other person, and often something about myself. Every perspective helped with the issue I was struggling with.

It’s about more than work-life balance. My office job had somewhat regular hours; the quandary was on the “life” side of the equation. So many challenges and commitments looked appealing. Saying “yes” was almost irresistible. For self-preservation, at one point I started writing Empty in my pocket calendar for two evenings a week and two weekends a month.

That issue didn’t get resolved so much as it faded in urgency. Now older and retired, with ample free time but limited stamina and capacity, I'm not asking how hard to push but where. Priorities get clearer. The deer in the garden and the owl hooting in the woods feed my spirit for those priorities. Of all that needs doing in this world, I find my niche and let go of the rest.

Do you ever wonder how hard to push yourself?
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Image: Photo by Sylas Boesten on Unsplash.