Photography, podcasts, graphic designing, music, poetry, art, styling in fashion, YouTubers, and more. You name it, I have friends who engage in these disciplines. It is beautiful. I love that they all go after their goals unapologetically. The passion and drive with which they move do inspire me every day, even when I know there are times they want to give up. (I would like to believe that this battle is a mainstay as a creative.) They put out incredible content and they all are growing each day in their crafts. However, I hate it at the same time. It’s not a matter of jealousy. I would do anything to support them. It’s just that there are only 24 hours in a day.
Think about it. Life is demanding. There are so many things happening, and the busyness of western culture does not make it easier. As an adult, I am forced to show up each day, eat right, exercise, spend ample time with God, work, pay bills, and otherwise. All these things have to be done by myself. I must admit, it gets overwhelming at times. To add to this, I want to always show up for the people I love. I want to maintain some form of social life. I want to check in often. Send memes when I think of folks. I want to always engage with the content produced, but sometimes time does not allow it. Sometimes, life just does not allow it. There is so much to do and consume, with so little time.
Liking, sharing, and subscribing is one thing, but actively keeping up is another. It feels physically impossible. Making time for myself and others is a serious juggling act, and a decent enough balance has to be maintained. Put it this way, life is like a quadratic equation. Let’s look below:
ax2 + bx + c = 0
Let’s call the left-hand side “friends” and the right-hand side “me”. (Oh, I’m a 10 though.)
If all effort is given to only my friends (left-hand side), nothing will be left for me. Zilch. Zero. I won’t have any time to chase my own dreams, let alone sleep. And vice versa. If all my energy is pumped into myself (right-hand side), I won’t be able to support others as I like. Living only for myself is definitely not like me.
There is this quote from the author Dodinsky that my mother loves. It says, “Be there for others, but never leave yourself behind.” She made me realize that I need to do that more often. I am a giver by nature, but I am important too. It may seem selfish to others, but I have to take care of myself. That may look like skipping a podcast until another month down the road. That may mean sleeping in when my friend wants to hang out.
Since there are only 24 hours in a day, I have to know my limits. I cannot change time, but I can change how I handle what has been given. I have to prioritise who and what is important to me so that I don’t suffer from burnout. I cannot be all things to all people. I’m just one person trying to live this life well.
Photo by Ajala Kings (IG: @ajalakings)