the tightrope walk of finding balance

Posted: September 2, 2010 at 4:35 pm

Yet again, you all blow me away with your beautiful comments and belief in this process. I know daily reflections helped change my life and it excites me to see it doing positive things for each of us now. I wish I could respond in depth to each of you! I’m keeping tabs though and fully plan to use your comments in the future as I’m hopeful to feature the 30 days in new ways.

I also want to share another movement reaching out to uplift women. I stand behind it fully. The movement showcases women in a natural state along with their testaments to their beauty every day. Please check out Heather’s Faces of Beauty site! I’m featured on it today and would love for you to give it a look. Plus, you know you want to see how young I look without make-up. 😉

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Guess what I did today? I walked on a tightrope!

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Okay. Maybe I didn’t really, but it sure does feel like it. Keeping balance in life never gets easier! Every day I face a juggling act of keeping numerous things in balance.

Work & Play
I wear many different hats. In addition to my role as mother and wife, I do the following: I tutor Spanish. I lead an adult Bible study class as well as a small group during the week. I blog and freelance write. I spent great amounts of time yesterday keeping up with emails, comments, questions, etc related to the blog. I had to work on prep work for the class I lead. I had to brainstorm for my next article. I busted my tail (and my fingers on the keyboard) yesterday. While I loved every moment, especially the blog stuff, I knew I needed play too. So at 4:00 I unplugged and hit up the playground with my family.

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I even channeled my inner kid and hopped on the swings. I do not want the day to come where swinging does not entertain me. It’s all about the simple things, after all.

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Eating
I know from experience that trying to eat perfectly does me only harm. An all or nothing mentality will quickly lead me down a road of depression and binging. I’ve adapted to being okay with doing my best. That’s all I can do anyways and its pretty dang good. I treat my body well with wholesome foods, but refuse to feel guilty for splurges. Which is why one night I can eat kale chips and sloppy joes made with beans + veggies, then delight in a treat my husband brings home for me a couple days later.

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Fitness
In my past, every day needed a workout. I drove myself into the ground with guilt if I wasn’t driving my body into the ground with obsessive time in the gym. Now, I adore taking at least one rest day per week and more if needed. I skipped the gym today to spend some time with our playgroup and replenish my energy after kickboxing, spinning, and lifting Mon-Wed.

Mental
My brain does not get many breaks. I have a hard time calming down my mind. I pride myself on my focus and determination to accomplish things. However, my mind needs to chill sometimes! So I take mental rest with my peaceful mornings of prayer…and the occasional night spent watching trash TV like The Bachelor Pad. Ha! How’s that for balance? Fall TV needs to come back to give me a mental break without the loss of integrity. 

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  • What childhood activity do you still love doing?
  • What Fall TV show are you most looking forward to returning? GLEE! And also The Biggest Loser since I love my Tuesday nights watching it with my sister. The show may annoy me at times, but the tradition of watching with my sister and the overall premise of regaining health make me happy.

***Have you posted about the 30 Days on your blog? Let me know so I can link back to you in tomorrow morning’s post. You can also place the button on your blog.

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To do so…simply copy the code from below and paste in a text widget for your sidebar.

<a href=”http://www.faithfitnessfun.com/?page_id=3454″><img src=”http://www.faithfitnessfun.com/challengebutton.png” /></a>

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56 Comments to “the tightrope walk of finding balance”
  1. Gleeeeeeeee!!!!! I just watched a preview for the new season– NKOTB, OMG!!! 🙂

    • Tina says:

      Oh, oh, ohoh. Oh, oh, ohohoh. That’s my bad impression of NKOTB. 😉 And now I’m even more excited for it to come back!!! I heard they had something on on Monday night. It wasn’t anything new was it???

  2. Good for you for getting out and playing on your rest day and unplugging. I need to unplug more often. I am looking forward to How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory.

  3. homecookedem says:

    I’m a gLeek too! 🙂 Love Finn!! 🙂

  4. Aww your little one looks so cute in her sunglasses. She is the toughest looking little girl : )

  5. Swinging can be so fun! I love how freeing it makes you feel. M looks like such a doll in those photos and I love seeing her grow up in front of our eyes.

    I’m most looking forward to The Office and I’m going to start watching The Biggest Loser because I feel that I need that boost of motivation that comes from the show.

    • Tina says:

      The Biggest Loser can be motivating. I do get frustrated sometimes too with the ridiculous antics, but as a whole the show motivates me. People trying to turn their lives around is awesome! Even if the show could go about it in a more healthful and realistic manner.

  6. Dexter!!! I loooove TV a little too much. 🙂

  7. woohoo GLEE!!! i really can’t wait to watch that 🙂

    M looks so adorable in her sunglasses! i love swinging too…and those merry-go-round things that you have to run and jump on? sign me up!

  8. “. I spent great amounts of time yesterday keeping up with emails, comments, questions, etc related to the blog. “–

    ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!
    not just yetserday, every day. Girl, I dont know how you do it, how i do it, how long we can continue. Being a mom is #1 to me. I know you feel the same way. I am glad you unplugged to be w/ your fam 🙂

    xoxo

  9. Morgan says:

    Swinging looks like so much fun!
    I can’t wait for Glee! I see no harm in taking some time out for fun TV. That’s perfect balance to me 🙂

  10. janetha g. says:

    the post i am publishing tonight talks about it!

    love it when i see people say they dont feel guilty for splurges. food is food, it should not dictate a mood. well, unless that mood is a good one from an ice cream overdose 😉

    love ya!

  11. I love swinging! I also still like to hula hoop and jump and flip on trampolines. Well, the trampolining is on hold for now, haha 😉

    I can’t wait for The Office!

  12. I cant wait for…

    Dexter, Greys Anatomy, and biggest loser!

  13. I think I am the only non-gleek around here 🙁

    I need to hop on that trend and get watchin’!

    I refuse to feel guilty for splurges anymore too…it’s SUCH a freeing feeling 🙂

  14. Why oh why is it so hard to take time to just enjoy life, am I right?!?! 🙂 Time with your family is so precious and perfect. I’m so glad you were able to take that time.

    Fall tv is all about ridiculous entertainment for me. Desperate Housewives is on my top. It’s so horrible but I can’t let it go!

    • Tina says:

      Me either! I still watch Desperate Housewives and Greys even though they aren’t what they used to be. I just love TV. It’s such a mental release for me.

  15. Emily says:

    Love love love those two fall shows, they are MOST DEFINITELY my favorites 🙂 Oh, and I know it was from the last post but:

    I thank my body for my thunder thighs, because they are oh so strong and allow me to go mountain biking, running, and kick some yoga butt!

  16. You and your daughter are so cute! Your button definitely has a permanent place on my blog for the month of September. I still really enjoy going to the zoo. I loved going as a child and I still love learning about all of the different animals.

  17. You def have your hands full! But to me is seems like you balance everything beautifully. I really appreciate reading your posts, because they seem very calm and put together, not scatter brained and all over the place (how my head feels sometimes!).

    I have never watched Glee…

    But I am excited for the Biggest Loser to return, as well as more Real Housewives (Atlanta starts in about a month!)

    • Tina says:

      I have my scatter brained spastic moments but they are much fewer and farther between than they used to be. I think having M helped that a lot. I had to let go of so much…otherwise I would be in an insane asylum right now. Kids are too unrpedictable! LOL

  18. Kim says:

    You and your daughter are too adorable!

    I will always and forever love swinging on a swing! And another past favourite I would love to do again is the slip&slide, we had endless hours of fun with that piece of plastic as kids!

    As for fall tv, I’m a tv-a-holic so I have many shows I’m looking forward to. Glee is for sure at the top of the list though!

  19. Heather says:

    I love Glee and BL, too!

    fav childhood activity, going to disneyworld and acting like a 5 year old. so fun!

    • Tina says:

      Oh dear goodness Disneyworld. I CANNOT WAIT for when I get to bring M there. Mainly because I want to go back sooooo bad. Love that place. It really is the happiest place on earth. Especially if you’re sharing it with loved ones.

  20. I totally agree with what you said about enjoying an occasional splurge or feeling good about taking a day off from work outs. I’m glad you ate the cookie from your husband! 🙂

    And, I am SO looking forward to the Biggest Loser!!!

  21. Lee says:

    Parenthood! Did you watch that show? It was my favorite.

    • Tina says:

      Yet another show I love. I’m beginning to see I watch a bit too much TV after reading all the comments and thinking “Oh I can’t wait for that one too!” Haha. Parenthood is a great show though. I think its the better of the dramas out there right now actually.

  22. I can’t wait for Desperate Housewives!!

  23. I both admire and envy your faith. Amazing!

    • Tina says:

      All I do is open my eyes to what God has done for me and open my heart to learn from Him. It really is as simple as that. Seeing how it has changed my life reaffirms it every day. I wasn’t always this way that’s for sure. But eventually, I reached a place I couldn’t ignore that longing in me and it has just grown from there. 🙂

      • That is so inspiring. I had to stop attending church after a particularly guilt-tripping sermon (that reminded me way too much of how my mind thought while anorexic), but I hope to rebuild my faith someday.

        Also I wrote a blog post about the 30 Days of Self-Love: Body Gifts. What a great topic, it really hit home for me!

      • And I attempted to put the button in my sidebar, but the image seems to be broken when I try to view it on my computer. Link works, though!

        • Tina says:

          Hmm…that’s interesting. Are you sure you copied all of the code? I wonder what happened!

          And I have a big issue with churches that leave people feeling guilty for things. It should always be about building people up so they can become the person God created them to be. I’ve done a post before on the difference between faith and religion. Faith is what changes lives…religion inhibits that.It saddens me when it can be difficult to find a community to grow in that understands and promotes that. I’m so thankful for my church that the “rules” aren’t what its about. It’s the love.

  24. Penny Lane says:

    I am excited for Glee to start back up again. Let the singing (sometimes badly) commence!

    Swinging and Running! Good thing I work for a school district and have access to swings everyday;)

  25. Childhood activity i still enjoy doing……reading and writing.
    TV show I’m excited for: America’s Next Top Model (guilty pleasure)

  26. Julie says:

    Survivor. I know…I should just give it up after all this time, but I can’t. Something about the adventure part of it pulls me in even though it’s the same thing year in and year out.
    Parenthood. Biggest Loser. Modern Family. We just got our cable back after giving it up over the summer and I’m salivating for a good show to “chill my mind” as you say.

    I love to swing until I get so high I almost scare myself.

  27. Maren says:

    I thank my nose because it links me to my heritage, I have it, my mother has it, my grandmother has it…
    I thank my thighs because they show the world my power and strength
    I thank my flat feet because they squeegee on the floor after I shower or swim and it always makes me smile.

  28. eatmovelove says:

    The glasses on your daughter is TOO CUTE. You guys look a lot alike! Lucky girl 🙂

    A treat every couple of days?! Girl – a cookie or two A DAY is not a bad thing…don’t be connived otherwise. Just do what feels right for you.

    Would you believe I haven’t watched Glee? I know, I know…I should…never been into Musicals so much…

    I’m a lunatic and kinda – okay I am – looking forward to the cheesiest, campiest show – America’s next Top Model ;)…and Survivor maybe.

  29. Chelsea says:

    I cannot WAIT for Glee and Grey’s Anatomy. And One tree hill..and gossip girl. Oh no, my fall is too busy to have to do homework too, sorry university!

  30. Jenn (GH) says:

    “So I take mental rest with my peaceful mornings of prayer…and the occasional night spent watching trash TV like The Bachelor Pad. Ha! How’s that for balance!” He he!! That’s super funny!!!

    Since I homeschool my kids I really have to try to find some balance with “me time”. Sometimes it’s hard not to feel selfish but if I don’t take me time then I’m not the sweetest person. 😉

    I still love riding horse although I can’t afford to do so anymore. Someday.

    BTW love your challenge. 🙂

    • Tina says:

      Yes! I have to have me time. I get up a couple hours early to get things done and then work during M’s nap, but there’s also another hour or so during the day when she is up that she knows to let mommy just be and play on her own. I of course join her on the floor the rest of the time. 🙂

  31. Meg says:

    We seem so alike! I love love love the swings. Another kiddie thing I still like to do is to to the arcades with my hubby.

  32. Penny Lane says:

    I wrote something today on the post and on the study that followed my meditation. Though unable to get on the swing to clear my mind.

  33. Ela says:

    Thanks for reminding of swinging – so fun, and so much about balance. I’ve always loved to climb trees too.

    I love the space you have here.

    My blog post, partly on the self-love –
    http://ulteriorharmony.blogspot.com/2010/09/final-amazing-grass-products-review.html

    I alluded to this in my post, but wanted to say again here: I loved how the self-confidence in yesterday’s reflection helped build the courage to pick the three body parts.

    love
    Ela

  34. sophia says:

    Oh dear. Balance. That’s a HARD thing to manage, esp when you’re being pulled in so many directions, and also when your priority may not be right.

    I’m so glad you put aside time to truly enjoy yourself. It seems like these times are getting rarer and rarer, don’t you think?

    • Tina says:

      Rarer and rarer in general as we get older and have more responsibilities? Definitely!! I always make an effort to put aside time each day for fun things. And a good chunk of my day is great because I’m laughing and playing with M. That’s my #1 and will never be rare if I have anything to do with it. 🙂

  35. Becky says:

    You are a busy bee! It’s great that you can stay so clear-mined and balance everything without getting overwhelmed.

    I loved swinging at the playground and riding my bike with the kids in the neighborhood. Summer night were my favorite as a kid.

  36. Lisa says:

    Hi! I want to thank you for discussing these kinds of things. I have suffered from disordered eating for a very long time and am currently striving for the “balance” and the freeing from obsessing about calories and exercise, which led to my eating disorder. Reading blogs like yours is helping me understand how I got here in the first place and what I need to do to overcome it! Thank you! =)

    • Tina says:

      Thank you so incredibly much for your kind words!!! I hope you can continue to find inspiration here. I know I find it in each of you. 🙂

  37. Kristy says:

    You have such a sweet family!
    I was just telling my mom the other day how I have a craving to “bob for apples”! Maybe I will surprise my brothers soon and show’em how its done. 🙂

  38. good for you on getting out and enjoying life. Sometimes we forget that we can’t go, go, go all the time.

    My fav childhood activtiy I still do is play solitare and tetris. these games help me zone out and make me feel like a kid again.

    • Tina says:

      I’m linking back to your post in tomorrow’s. I still can’t comment on your blog but wanted to say that I LOVE how you related the inner beauty to other people too.

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