When Your Roles Are Too Much To Handle

I have always been the type of person who always wants to keep herself busy – engaging in various projects, reading books and blogs, or doing something crafty with my hands. It’s as if I am not serving myself and my community well if I let myself stay idle even just for a second. But, I have to be honest. This kind of mindset and attitude is not doing me good in the long run. And I learned it the hard way.

There came a point in my life where I was actively serving four organizations all at the same time. This is on top of managing a laundry business and being a wife and mother to two young children. Crazy, right? You see, I am a curious person who loves learning and who has a passion to serve others. This is the reason why I mainly got myself into all these roles in the first place. While others might be amazed on the many roles I take on, and I do take pride of how I contribute to all of these, it also took a toll on my emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. Overwhelm was the primary emotion I get, followed by guilt. By doing so much, the quality of connections I had with people, especially my family, dwindled. And that’s when I knew I had to stop and evaluate the current reality I am in by having one question in my mind – am I still serving my purpose well?

While this question might seem easy to answer with a yes, the problem was that I did not have any focus. And without focus, I knew I would not feel any alignment. And while it would be great for me to contribute and share to as much initiatives and opportunities around me, I had to accept the limited energy I have. At this point, the necessary question for me to answer as well is, “given the limited time I have here on earth, in which parts of my life do I want to invest most of my energy in?”

Having these two questions gave me a new perspective whenever I get presented with opportunities to learn and to serve. I was able to reduce my commitments and at the same time increase the time I spend with people who are most important to me: my family and my clients.

Now, let me ask the questions to you, too.

In which role/s do you serve your purpose the most?

In which part of your life do you want to invest your energy in?

xoxo