The World According to Emily :: Finding Focus

Easier said than done. My entire life, I have been an overachieving, energetic, Type-A. I dream really big and I love to stay really busy – even when that means “burning the candle at both ends.” One of my New Year’s resolutions was to take better care of MYSELF. I put so much energy into my family, my home, my business – that sometimes I forget about me. I like to think that I can live on 4 hours of sleep, Starbucks and cheerios. (I love Cheerios). Lately my life has been riddled with challenges – both personally and professionally. The kinds of challenges that can steal your attention and rattle your focus if you let them.

Even writing this post, I can think of fourteen things I need to be doing right now. I’m reminded of our first exercise at Lara Casey’s Making Things Happen intensive in Watercolor. “Write down everything in your brain right now. Get it out and on paper…”

. . . I’ll be back . . .

I just wrote down 24 things off the top of my head that I should get done today. Oh my. But I do feel somewhat clearer having everything written down and out of my brain space. As the ELP site preparation reaches MAX craziness and prepares for the big reveal in 4 days, I’ve got to find a way to maintain focus, to rid myself of this exhaustion that is slowly creeping up, and to remind myself that there is so little I can actually control. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14).

The word satisfy is something I so often do not relate to. I am so rarely truly satisfied. Happy? Absolutely. Grateful? All the time. But satisfied/finished/content? Hardly ever. But this little verse tells us to be satisfied. And for me, I am learning to find contentment in the places I’m not so crazily seeking it – but where it already lives. In my faith. In my big, hilarious, loving family. In my friends who sit and listen to me ramble about my journey, bring me hot pink diamond socks and lasagna when I’m under the weather. And in my sweet, sweet, wholehearted husband whose love is so big, so satisfying and so complete.

Photo courtesy of Meg Baisden Photography.