The Fine Art of Spinning Plates

You know those people who seem to have it all together, who have a full-time career, homeschool their kids, cook from scratch, and still manage to hit the bestseller list every year?

I’m not one of those. And part of my journey is making peace with the fact that I probably never will be.

That’s not to say I’m a slacker or that I’ll stop trying to be everything God created me to be. I’m leaving nothing on the table when I depart for the hereafter. Of course I’ll keep trying–it’s encoded in my DNA. But there’s a peace that comes with knowing that I don’t have to keep striving to do more, but simply to be.

You may not have noticed, but I did a vanishing act a few months ago. Not on purpose, but I mostly disappeared online. I stopped posting to the blog and my Tweeting became sporadic. The Facebook videos I was having so much fun with ceased, and my Instagram posts petered out.

So…what happened? I’ll tell you what. I started spinning one more plate than wisdom recommended. (Refer back to my intro–I’m not that person.) Basically, I took a part time job that required a bit more than I was prepared to give. Funny thing is, I actually like the job because it’s about so much more than money. It’s filled with some really great people! And the money definitely helped since we moved for the second time in the past 12 months.

Back to plate spinning. After realizing my ducks were scattered all over the pond, in the trees, and a few went missing, I decided to revamp my life and schedule according to my own time management principles that have served me well over the years. You see, I’d stopped spending time based on my short and long-term goals and priorities, and started spending time willy nilly on what seemed to matter in that moment. Like triage, first stop the bleeding.

But that’s really not how life should work for any of us. Why are we spending time–a finite resource–on things that don’t align with what we truly care about? Sure, we have to bring home a paycheck and clean the tub once in a while, but it’s easy to squander time and use those necessary life bits as an excuse.

And I’ll let you in on a not-so-secret secret: not every plate we spin is equally important. The fine art of plate spinning starts with choosing the right plates.

How are your plates today? Are you spinning the right ones? When you are facing eternity, will you be satisfied with how you spent your time, here and now? It’s a great day to reset your priorities, my friends. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.