Life in the fast lane – change is possible

I have really enjoyed our conversation this month about various themes in Bridget Schulte’s book Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time.  I know many of you will enjoy this book for the personal stories she shares and the examples of companies (and other countries) that have changed things for the better.  For me, the best aspect of this book is the realization that we are not stuck.  Perhaps our society or culture is fast-paced, but we have the ability to shape our personal experience.

In the introduction to the series, you kindly listened to me ramble on about my social “overwhelm” while I was traveling in Europe.  And your excitement for the series made me even more excited!

The next post, which was about work/life balance, or lack thereof, was our most controversial.  Even though our work ethic encourages 24/7 connectivity, we can make our schedule a little more sane.  Much of the discussion here was about how having children complicates the issue.  It all boils down to choices, right? I’ve been looking at my own actions to make sure they reflect my values.

In the post about relationship equity and balancing our roles, you taught me that fairness is a matter of perception. Communication is by far the most important aspect of a household relationship.  I remembered that one part of the book says that it isn’t enough for each half of a couple to plan to give 50% and expect it to add up to everything being taken care of.  Rather, each should plan on giving 100%.  It’s not important who does what.  Working as a team to be successful (however you define that) is what matters.

In the most recent post, women don’t play, I learned that so many of you already do incorporate play into your day in some pretty original ways.  It’s definitely a balance when there’s so much to be done around the house! Still, the luckiest of us consider our work to be play.

I’m definitely guilty of saying I’m overwhelmed sometimes.  And I agree with Schulte that it’s a self-imposed emotion based on stress, fear, and idealism.  We need to consciously shift our perspective.  Let’s try to give our brains a rest, try something new, count our blessings, banish busyness, and live an authentic life.

“Doing good work, having quality time for family and meaningful relationships, and the space to refresh the soul is about having a good life… It’s about so much more than getting the hang of the latest time management system.  It’s about equity.  It’s about quality of life. It’s about state of mind.  It’s about human rights.”   ~ Bridget Schulte

Thank you for following along and participating! Let me know if you’d like to see more of these book discussions here.  Have a wonderful week, friends! Be well.