Balance

I just got home from Portland for the second weekend in a row! Track is going full speed right now, but I feel like I’m having a hard time keeping up with it after battling an injury for a few weeks. My coach is pretty positive that I’ll come back full swing for NWAACCs in two weeks though, so I’m going to claim that!!! The 5k and 10k are going to get dominated. And then, time for a much needed rest from running.

But running is not what this blog is meant to talk about. Well, not only running. You see, I have been learning a lot of life lessons lately, and the most current lesson I have learned has been about Balance.

For the past year and a half, I have been pushing myself to the point of exhaustion to become a better runner. I trained harder, drank more water, ate healthier, lifted more… than just about anyone I bet. 

And it paid off in cross country. And its still paying off…. But I’m realizing it can also be a downfall. 

Too much work with not enough rest is the reason I was injured. It’s the reason I’m so tired right now.

That’s right. Too much of ANYTHING is a bad thing!!! Except Jesus. But even so, you can’t spend all your time in His presence and getting filled up without going out and pouring it out on the world. That would be unhealthy.

I struggle with balance in many areas of my life. School, for example. I work so hard to get good grades. I study and do homework and stress myself out.

I just got elected president of my school next year, and I give everything I want to give everything I have to my job as well.

So next year, I’m going to have to BALANCE school, running, president, church, family, relationships.

But this is my newly adopted motto. Work hard. Play hard. Rest hard.

If there isn’t balance, everything will come tumbling down. 

It almost came tumbling down on me. And it scared me.

So.

If you want to get better in your sport, push yourself hard. Put in the miles. Lift. Focus. But rest too. Sleep enough. Play. Don’t take it… or yourself… too seriously.

If you want to get As in school, study. Do homework. But make time to not think about school AT ALL. Go out with friends. Watch that movie. And if the A is just not going to happen despite everything, make peace with it. Don’t stress or worry.

If you want to succeed at work, be responsible. But life is not about succeeding, remember. Being kind and a friendly comes first. And if you are too tired to be a friend and good example to people, the success is not worth it.

If you want to eat healthy, do it. Have oatmeal for breakfast. Have salad for lunch. But don’t be scared to splurge on some ice cream every once in awhile.

Balance.

If life were about rules, or about accomplishing something, or about striving for perfection all the time, life wouldn’t be the amazing gift that it is: the opportunity to live for God’s glory, with God, in a beautiful world he created.

Enjoy it.