...make some lemonade. Spiked, preferably. This weekend is another scorcher so we decided to make lemonade from scratch. I adapted this recipe, substituting basil for mint. I'll take a tall one please, heavy on the ice.
I've been thinking a lot lately about finding work-life balance. Especially since some recent changes at work are threatening to throw my parents' fall visit off plan. Every day at the office poses a challenge - should I eat at my desk so I can get out of here by 5:30? Should I stay late so I can knock out this one assignment?
In a meditation retreat I attended a couple years ago, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh said that too often, we think of time in segments. We divide our day into “work time”, “study time”, “parent-child time” or “me time”. But really, all of your time is “me time”.
I try to remind myself of this whenever I feel inclined to rush through work-related tasks mindlessly so I can take a long lunch, or attend a yoga class. In reminding myself that the present is “me time”, I can bring my mind’s full attention to the task at hand.
This proves increasingly difficult within our society, particularly for my generation and younger, as it adapts itself to interacting with tabbed web browsers displaying multi-paneled webpages that are light on substance and heavy on the pictures, polls, and links. I’ve noticed my weakening ability to focus even when reading magazine articles. I got up twice while writing this entry – first to take some carrots out of the oven, and then to make myself a tomato salad (yes, my mind’s digressions mostly involve food). I even wonder if you, my dear reader, have made it this far in my post without taking a peek at the luscious lemonade recipe link or discovering who Thich Nhat Hanh is.
As I reach the bottom of my glass, I ask – what do you do to stay balanced?
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