Choosing Balance for Yourself in the Day-to-Day moments Makes a Big Impact
September 23, 2024
Laura Triplett
After having my second child, I found I was putting an immense amount of pressure on myself to "keep up," keep things in order. Attempting to manage the house, the babies, my husband, in "an orderly and well-kept fashion." Anytime something spilled, or wasn't getting accomplished as planned, negative emotions filled and flooded my overstimulated, over-worked, postpartum "mommy brain."
It wasn't until the grewsome postpartum haze began to lift, that I could see more clearly how I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself to meet these outrageous standards and expectations - that I was setting for myself.
Remember to Rest (NFS)
At some point as an artist, I physically, mentally, and spiritually, had to put all that self-deprecating shit down. That urge to really push it, really exhaust myself, test my limits, all for the sake of making great art - got left in a soul-searching phase where a little bit of light over time finally burst through the cracks of an omnipresent darkness.
Sometimes I catch myself really pushing it or not meeting my other needs somewhere else. And I have to remember to take care of my well-being first and foremost and have a better balance. There's nothing like having children to really teach us that as well. I realized the importance of the marathon, the elegance of it even, manifesting in moments of care in my day-today. What balance really looks like: is taking a drink of water, eating a snack that is ALIVE, going on walks, and indulging in priceless moments with my children over chores.
I am Light, Floating (Mixed media on canvas available in five sizes www.lauratriplettstudios.com)
There is also, nothing like a life threatening uber ride to teach self-care - either. The other week, both my husband's car and mine were down and getting tuned up in the shop leaving me with no other choice, but to book an out of the ordinary Uber ride.
After jumping in and saying hello to my driver, I quickly noticed there were strange wipe marks along all of his passenger windows... Almost as if there had been multiple previous passengers, struggling in the vehicle. After digesting the atmosphere of being in an uber with shuttering wipe marks everywhere, my eyes were then drawn to the peculiar pair of black rubber workout gloves he was gripping the steering wheel with. I decided not to let my worst nightmare take over my body in any cowardly way, but instead bulk up with my energy.
Sending Ms. Patty (NFS)
The next thing the Uber driver opened with were the usual suspect questions, asking me where I'm from, how long I'd been where I was. I respond, "North Carolina." And in an almost argumentative manner, he responds, "if there is any place in North Carolina you think I have not been to, you name it, I've been there." Being difficult yet inquisitive, I ask if he had to Beech Mountain? "No?!" (Of course not.)
He then starts mentioning some "in-between" places in North Carolina (names slipping me now) that I wouldn't even want to be caught getting gas in... And says, "maybe I'll take you there, maybe I'll take you there now." I respond boldly, as if he is a child "no, you will NOT take me there." You are not to mess with me.
OOO She Bad! (Mixed media on canvas available in five sizes www.lauratriplettstudios.com)
For the rest of the ride, I faced many other test questions. Asking me my points of views, on society, the universe, and if it was the freedom of thought that fucked everything up in the first place. I couldn't believe the heights we were reaching in our enlightened conversation, on his forced behalf.
In the aftermath wake of it all, I ultimately passed his tests and proved to be a solid human, worth making it to my destination. My take-away from this potential life-shuttering experience, was something he said during one of his rebuttals. It was, that there are three elements that make up our human experiences in life: the physical (body), the nonphysical (spirit), and BALANCE.
In my head, I'm like "holy shit, there it is, balance! The third element is BALANCE." If we don't have that, the other two spectrums holding up the trifecta of life begin to suffer.
Some lessons can't be learned until we see the ways in which we are doing a disservice to ourselves by not maintaining or neglecting our overall balance. And some lessons are extremely tricky to navigate and depend on your absolute hell-all wits to be about you. But if we don't have balance, we can't begin to do ourselves the favors that bear the fruits of balance in this marathon called life.
Until next time!
Laura Triplett Studios
