Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.
Italian painter and sculptor, Michelangelo, was born on this day in 1475 (died 1564).
Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.
I will never get to the end of my “to do” list, and maybe not even the end of my bucket list (although that one is more important).
We are all allotted the same 24-hour day, and we have to decide what to do with it. But our reality is that sometimes we just can’t do everything that we want to do.
That’s when we need to learn to say no.
And that’s hard.
If you’re a long-term reader (as you should be) you know that my focus this year is on writing and health. I’m making progress. I’m at the gym more mornings than not, at least Monday through Friday, and I’m making mostly healthier food choices. I’m consistently writing this blog, and at least a thousand other words a day. And I’m making progress on the script.
Well mostly, but I keep wanting more. The more I learn about World War I, the more I want to learn. I’m having to remember that I’m telling one Doughboy’s story, not all of them.
Yet.
It’s funny though, I really am trying to make writing and health my major areas of focus for the year. But just in the past couple of weeks it’s been like…here’s a theatre opportunity…and here’s a theatre opportunity…and over here, here’s another theatre opportunity.
No, Mrs. Reagan, I cannot “Just say no.”
Sure, I have to some times.
But the truth is, I’ve not sought these opportunities, they’ve found me. They may not all work out, and that’s okay.
What I have to be sure of is that they don’t distract from my focus for the year.
It doesn’t matter if I want to do it all, because the reality is that I just can’t.
Maybe just a little bit more…
It’s Monday, beginning of a new week. This Tuesday and Wednesday I have my performance as the narrator in the On the Air Radio Players production of The Day the Earth Stood Still.
If you’re Richmond local, come and check us out.
Here’s the thing about wanting more. We’ll find times to do the things that are important.
My writing and health are important to me. So is theatre.
But we can’t do it all. Even when we want to.
That means that the focus remains on writing and health. When the theatre opportunities arise, I’ll have to make informed choices so that the writing and health don’t get shoved to the side. Sometimes the right choice is to say no.
That will help us get to the point where less is more.
That’s what I want.
American singer, and founding member of The Supremes, Mary Wilson, was born on this day in 1944.
__________________________________________