One of these things is not like the others... ?

It seems that as I get older the wheels in my head (not the bus) go round and round more each day.
It seems that the clarity and perspective I now see things with reminds me every day I am alive, awake, aware.

The last few weeks have certainly been full of challenges, blessings, celebrations of love and life better described as the sad and unfortunate, but long-waited passing of a beloved relative. For the last few weeks, the day to day has taught me lessons of patience, risk, trust and perseverance.

While every day, be it at work or at home, a need to focus on the priorities, the pecking order, the immediate needs take center stage. Here comes part of the challenge...Well, what if you, like me, are programmed to be able to juggle more than one ball in the air; to compartmentalize each area or item on your "to do" list and get to them at the appropriate time they merit. What if you are really good at more than one thing. What if you can be known, not just for your skills, but for the experience, expertise and way on conveying a message... What if you can listen attentively during a meeting as the presenter is pitching an idea you already connected the very idea to two or more possible links in order to support it or benefit from it? What if you are a connector and very precise in connecting dots for the betterment an organization??

What if you try to juggle too many balls in the air and suddenly you look to the left as someone said "squirrel!" and all balls fall to the ground. Ah! You got distracted. You dropped the ball, literally. Well, that happens.

I reflect on these questions and the statement that one of these things is not like the others because I have recently been challenged with, not just finding a balance in priorities, but to make sense of those very priorities, when at the same time and to the outsider looking in, all look equally important. How do you determine the pecking order. How do you determine if they are all "big picture" or "little picture"?

Today during a lunch conversation a colleague and I discussed priorities, but more than anything, common sense. Ha! At times it seems that common sense ends up as the last kid to get picked to play for a team and almost does not make the cut of how to prioritize. Basically, the advice we gave each other, in full-blown, but unintentionally Latino support, was to take look at all items on our "to do lists" and check off one by one, those things we can do TODAY that we both know are important.
Then, use common sense to arrange the items we know will take more time and resources, more man power and more collaboration. Those items are big picture and ideally, common sense has a role to play.

A wise and loving man said to me recently, as he listened to my rant about challenges I was facing having to let go of projects I am passionate about. He said "take nail and hammer it to the wall, then hang that problem on it... and walk away," more or else. It sounds better in Spanish "ponlo en un clavo y déjalo ahí." He believes God (yes, hi up there! ;)) will do a little surveying of his own and decide if what's hanging from the nail is worth staying there, hopefully, adding to the aesthetics of your life, like a pretty painting decorating your home. Perhaps what's hanging from the nail is not worth your time and does not add anything of value to your work, especially, your life. In other words, let it go and if it's mean to be, it will come back, it will happen. And yes, it will take time, so be patient.

So, one of these things is not like the others.... Meh, I guess not, but that's OK. Balancing work, life, family and friends is not easy. One of these things is not as important as others and we must put them in some sort of a pecking order??? Then again, why can't they??? I will keep trying to balance as much as I can (with patience, practice and perseverance) and do my best not to drop any of the balls flying above me, yet understanding that indeed it is OK if I can't do everything, all of the time. But as hard as it may be, darn it, I won't give up my passions and WILL try to balance as much as I can.