Addition and subtraction

It is a simple lesson of addition and subtraction- we all learned this in school. Do you ever feel like you have too many commitments? You can't say no. You want to be everything to everyone? As women we sure are multi-taskers but are we ever multi-tasking so much we forget where we are, what we are doing next or who we are? I have said in the past, the busier I am the more productive I am. At this point in my life I am beginning to think this isn't true. What I once could do I no longer have the capacity to handle. Especially with ever changing needs of my family, relationships and goals. When new opportunities arise I find myself just adding them to the laundry list of things I am already doing. I am committed to certain things already but I have an interest in others. So instead of re-evaluating what I am already doing, eliminating the things that are no longer in line with my goals and expectations of myself, my interests, likes and hobbies, I just pile them on top of what I am doing so that I don't have to "quit" or disappoint someone/something that I am presently a part of. This can be self-diagnosed as overly engaged in activities that no longer suit the needs of your current situation, to the point of a mid life crisis nervous breakdown because you are expecting to much of yourself in order to not look like you can't continue to handle everything that you have said yes to. Sometimes these opportunities and commitments you make are temporary, like the seasons, they change with the changes in your life. When your life changes, when unexpected things happen, when your needs, wants, desires and familial demands change, you must change- it is inevitable. You cannot continue to do all the things in your life you once had and cram in more, pile it on top, heavy load. You must STOP- Re-Evaluate- Prioritize- and LET GO! What is working for you and your situation, your goals? What do you want to accomplish? What commitments are in-line with your present? Your future? The past is the past. You CANNOT be every thing to everyone. Who is your focus? What is it that you want people to say about you at your funeral? "she sure was busy, but she lost her mind there at the end." LOL! Seriously! Sometimes you can only say YES so many times before it can really effect your livelihood and then you are just plain a mess inside with a happy go lucky outward appearance that is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. In a conversation over the weekend with one of my friends, we discussed the negative effects of keeping things bottled inside and allowing others to take advantage of us without complaint because it is easier to go with the flow then speak up. But somehow that bottled up inside comes out and it isn't always pretty. My goal this week is to focus on the things that matter most, the ones most beneficial to my progress and livelihood and my current situation- those that don't are going to be eliminated- not because they haven't helped me in the past or aren't beneficial, but because I just cannot continue to add and not subtract.