We fill up our lives so easily. But so few of us live “full lives”.
All too often, our days are run by to-do lists outlining the most menial – yet unavoidable – of tasks. Pick up dry-cleaning, pay lawnmower man, get groceries, apply for holiday leave – calculate if I have any holiday leave, get car serviced ….
I have to admit that there are times I feel so busy running the house and overseeing homework, taekwondo pickup, soccer drop off – that I honestly wonder how I have time to work. This is unfortunate as it is not only completely essential, given the frequency of those damn window envelopes in my letterbox, but work is also something I used to absolutely love doing – recently it has felt like just another item on my “to do” list.
I rationalised the way I’ve been feeling as being completely “understandable”. Life is big, responsibilities are big. It takes so much energy running the essentials that the really big picture things will just have to wait.
Until when? Until there’s more time in the day, or until there’s more money in the bank, or until ……. Until. That’s it. That was where I was at, just getting through each month, just ticking things off the list.
UNACCEPTABLE! That is completely not the way to live! I was snapped out of this way of thinking – thank goodness – by a particular situation. You see I am a member of our community health committee, working at the hospital.
There’s lots of things we do, but right now, I am working on a training package to help everyone understand the role of the hospitals in our area and the resources the community have at hand – Hospital at Home, mental health, drugs and alcohol, sexual assault and domestic violence, dieticians, palliative care etc.
In going out to the broader community, I have been devastated to understand some of the problems that people are facing. I am shocked by their situation. I am affected by their pain and I am overwhelmed by the frustrations they are encountering.
Suddenly the “problems” of my cushy existence, my to-do list that I’m not overly excited by, pale to insignificance. Suddenly, my work life that focuses on providing people with a beautiful event, finding sponsors to support a chosen sport, marketing opportunities to “own more stuff”, seems insignificant. Perhaps I am having a mid-life crisis (thanks to my lovely friend who pointed THAT out as an option!), but I feel like I am hearing my calling. And that calling is simple – do more.
I have always been passionate about things in life, but now I feel that passion turning into a very strong, very clear action. There are people in our own community, our neighbours, people in our own team, suffering. They are struggling, and they need us to care. There are clear weaknesses in the health system, and I want to be part of the solution.
I want to dedicate more time, refocus my career, lobby for change. I’m not sure how, but I know I will find a way. This is life changing. For me, and I hope for even just one more person – that if I find a way, if I can give more, if I can do more, that just one more person will benefit from this.
We are all so much more than we sometimes think we are. We are all capable of being FABULOUS!
Tiny things can make a big difference. Don’t get stuck in a rut in life, reach out and see the need all around you, the need for you to make a difference.
It might be that you hear your family calling for more time from you, it might be you hear your work colleagues calling for more support from you, it might be you hear your community calling for your leadership – or it might be you hear your own heart call out for you to be more, for you to be the person that you dreamt of being, the person that you know you are.
You don’t have to be fabulous alone. Wherever you find your calling, you will find support. You will be embraced, as all those who believe in something and take action are. I’m on your team, I want to make the future better. And it starts by each of us striving to do just that little bit more. Live your life with passion. Now – it’s time to dance ….
Be fabulous this month. Abby xxx
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Arron Wood to axe Greenline if elected Lord Mayor
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