Yet again I’ve been away from my blog for a longer break than intended! It’s crazy how that happens sometimes…
At this point, I am just over 5 months into my pregnancy and feeling pretty good. My energy is back (though not nearly as high as I’m used to), the nausea is in the past (though I still have food aversions), and I’m enjoying feeling our little baby move whenever I sit still long enough.
The hubs and I taking a snack break during our hike this past weekend.
I’m so full of blessings and good things, and yet I’m not blogging much about my zeal for life. I decided to sit down with myself and try to figure out why I’ve strayed from something I honestly enjoy so much.
A number of my fellow fitness bloggers manage to find time to post a little something-something almost every day about motivation, inspiration, frustrations, and pretty much anything that helps their audience feel connected. They share the crucial information that Yes, fitness people are still people and we all struggle sometimes! They have all done beautiful jobs of sharing their humanity with the world (or at least the part that’s paying attention) and opening themselves and their lives up to those who are reading.
And, while pondering these facts today, I realized why my approach to my blog (and therefore my product) is so much different.
While it’s very important to me that I share what I can about fitness, living well, and any inspiration or motivation I might have, it is even more important for me to have some separation from my role as fitness professional and “lifestyle tour guide.” Sometimes I just want to be “tired, expectant mother who wants to sleep all evening” or “wife who finally has energy and wants to walk her dog with her hubs.” Not that I can’t easily share these moments of my life with YOU, audience, but, well, I don’t really want to.
What?!
I know, I know, that sounded really harsh. Let me see if I can explain it better…
For me, my time with my family is sacred. The hubs and I have a rule about screen time: we can’t just zone out in front of a device when we get home from work. We have to interact with each other and, quite honestly, that practice has helped us keep growing in our personal lives and in our marriage. We read together, we share about our days, we walk the dog, we do silly, spontaneous things. And since becoming pregnant, we have tried to prioritize more of that special time with each other. Because, although having a baby is something we’ve prayed about and dreamed about for quite some time now, having a baby is also a huge life change and comes with its own set of stresses and concerns.
My hiking face.
One of the topics that we’ve been working on is figuring out the kind of example we want to set for our children and the kind of life we believe in living. I’ve never come right out and said it before, but I believe in UNPLUGGING from devices for a boost of positivity, productivity, and general zeal for life! Smell the air, feel the breeze, use your body. Do those things that make you reach into the depths of yourself and learn who you really are, and what you really are zealous about. And when I think about our kid growing up in the example we set, I want to make one thing very clear to them:
Life doesn’t take place online.
That isn’t to say that I am a complete Luddite who hates all things technology; I am writing a blog right now, after all! But I do think that we rely heavily on our devices to fulfill some of our basic social-creature needs (affirmation, acceptance, relationships, etc) instead of seeking connections in the real world around us. In some cases, we rely too heavily on our devices and it starts to have a negative impact on our real, tangible lives.
A recent study I read noted that not only are younger and younger people using screen time excessively, but as those kids grow up they feel jealous of the screen time their parents use. They feel that they need to compete with devices for their parents’ attention. Worse still? According to this article, 25% of parents would agree that screen time takes their attention away from the lives of their children.
Devices have the power to enhance our lives and bring us closer together. But they also have the power (if we give it to them) to make us feel socially alienated and dissatisfied with our own situation (“Why can’t I do what he does? What’s wrong with me?”) instead of embracing it and shaping our own vision of what a zealously lived life looks like.
In the end, like everything else in life, it’s all about finding the balance that works for you. As the hubs and I figure out the balance of our new family life, I’ll also be adjusting the balance of my professional scope and my personal space. Bear with me as I grow into this new role as mother-wife, friend, and professional (in that order). In the meantime, I challenge you to think about your life balance. Is there anything that doesn’t sit right with you in this season? What can you do to change that? What’s holding you back?
Bosco and I looking out at the view we worked for during our hike.
If nothing else, take a deep breath in, let it out, and think about how wonderful it is to be right where you are right now. It’s the only place you can be that will get you where you’re going!
Blessings,
Michelle
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