When I leave my home, it is dark outside. When I return home, in the evening, it is dark outside. When my husband asks about my day, the response is always the same, “Fine.”
Sometimes, a heavy sigh comes before the “fine.” Other times, the statement brings a small smile. I cannot for the life of me recall the day or time I stopped elaborating. I cannot remember when my husband accepted my one word answer as a sufficient response before moving on to other topics of conversation.
If I had to guess, I would say it was around the time I began to pray for peace and balance. The days I ran out of tears to cry, frustrations to feel, anger to transfer to my own children. Perhaps, it took place when I began to declutter, and I started with myself. Maybe it came when I decided I would rather sleep than stress…
One would think that I hated my job, but the reality is quite the opposite. I love my job. I love my co-workers, and I LOVE those children, and that is why I stopped talking about work at home. Whenever the day occurred, I accepted that perhaps I loved them a little too much. Perhaps I was a part of an unhappy, one-sided relationship doomed to failure if something did not change. So I changed – to save us both, not because I loved them any less but because I loved them too much to lose them.
It is not that I do not EVER talk about them, but I limit myself for the sake of their sanity and my own. I have learned that I can literally love something to death…a hobby…a personal item…a relationship. So I decided that I loved them too much for that so 12 hours a day was all that they could have. Not one minute more…
And the minute, I separated my life from my work without forgetting that my work was an integral part of my life, we both won for a variety of reasons.
- I gave God control. A friend of mine sent me a message that stuck with me earlier this week: “We have a single priority every day – to trust God with the outcome” – Anonymous. The simple thought came from an inspirational calendar, no author. I cannot find the orignator in the first page of my google search. Each day, I have one job and one job only. Trust God. Worry, stress, late nights, and early mornings add nothing. So when I walk away from that school at 4:45, I hang up teacher life for a moment. I can pick it up again in the morning before the sun rises.
- I live in the moment. I have a total of two hours to eat, do homework, play, read to, and prepare my children for bed from the instant my toe hits the door step. Right now, they fight for my attention. They want to learn whatever letter I am teaching, whatever number I am counting. They want me to put smiley faces on the lines where they write their name correctly, and frowns where I do not. They want to play school, and they want me to be the teacher (GO FIGURE!!) They want to play whatever version of Mickey and the Roadster Racers they have created. They want to play whatever game we made up that was never intended to be a game but ended in laughter, so they want to “play that game again.” I do not get these moments back. Right now is it. Today. This. I have zero moments left to discuss a place that dominated the majority of my day – good or bad.
- I rest. I sit with my husband on the couch and watch Big Bang Theory. I exercise. I develop picture to make Valentines Day trees. I shop for oversized black sweaters. I nose through social media. I do whatever I feel like doing and make no apologies for doing it.
No matter whether you love or hate your job, a job is just that – a job. It need only be a piece of who you are not the entire picture. I laugh to myself as I hear God saying, “Brittany, you had only one job!…You had ONE JOB!” And it had nothing to do with work. “Give your day to Me. Trust that I can make the most of it.” So I do.
And I advise you to do the same. Give it to God. Enjoy all the moments you have leftover, and then sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Watch Him transform your ordinary into extraordinary.
***
What are some things you do to separate work life from home life? How has this separation aided you?
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I’m not working but my mum has always talked about how important it’s not to bring work home. Nice post!
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Absolutely essential. Thanks!
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You’re welcome!
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This is fantastic, Brittany!
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Thanks love!
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I leave home in the car when I get to work. Problems seem to go away or diminish before I come back to the car to pick them back up. When I leave work, those problems are left at the time clock. The next morning most of those problems have clocked out and left the building as well. time is too precious to not let go and let God.
BTW , I have the BEST co-workers who make my days pretty amazing.
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Me too!! Lots of laughs and good times!!!
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Great read! It’s a good point to live in the moment with your kids especially on a school night. I’m the same way because I leave before they get up and usually come home late. Leave your work at work which is hard to do.
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Yes it is. Especially when I want to give my students every single thing their heart desires…next day grades tests, promised treats, etc
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Glad to hear you are finding peace, Brittany. It also sounds like you are finding balance as well. Your commitments are definitely assisting you over the challenging phases in life. Great job!
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Thanks so much! Ever present balancing act, but I’ve had to let some things fall by the wayside.
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It was an interesting viewpoint as I have been a stay at home mom now for one year. It was just refreshing to read about a mom that works. (It may sound silly, but i am happy to have read this today)
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Thanks Sue. I would love to stay at home, but teaching is the next best thing. You have a job as well separating all of the day to day tasks and ensuring you get time to rest as well.
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As a teacher, I am intrigued by this. I share A LOT from work once I am at home, although I’m more likely to share the positive rather than the negative. I definitely need to be better at turning work off and savoring my limited time at home. Thank you for this!
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I think if I had more positive things to share, I would. I’m actually glad you brought this up. I sometimes get so consumed with the handful that drive me crazy that I overlook all of the great moments of the day!! Great reminder!
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I work at home, but I try to do the same. It’s sort of like block scheduling your life. When it’s work time, it’s work time…..when it’s family time, it’s family time. It is such a difficult thing to do well, but well worth the effort!
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A never ending cycle always u for revamping and definitely “well worth the effort” as you so eloquently stated.
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I can totally relate to your thoughts, And your points are great, to be remembered every single day. Thanks for the inspiration.
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No problem at all. Thanks for taking the time to leave such kind words.
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Wow! This is an amazing post. Thank you for sharing. I specially love the quote about our only one job which is to give the day to God and trust Him of the outcome. I am a believer too and it is refreshing to see others doing the same.
I can sense how much you value time for family and yourself. I am struggling with this balance too especially that I work night shift but I and my husband are already considering other options so we could prioritize the things that are really more important to us.
Thank you for sharing this! I hope you don’t mind when I share this in my blog one time. ☺ Have a great weekend with your family!
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Absolutely not. Share away. I’m honored and touched that it meant so much to you!!
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Hello Britanny!
I shared your blog and two of your posts today. 🙂
https://thehappylife101.wordpress.com/2017/02/09/a-blog-worth-sharing-10-ordinarilyextraordinarymom/
Thanks again!
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I was and am truly touched and honored. Again, sincerest thanks!
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This is the right way to think and three proper perspective. IT’S JUST A JOB! Well done.
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Thanks so much. XOXO
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It’s good to live in the moment. Happy Monday, from the Motivational Monday Link up,
Megs
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Thanks so much! I am working on doing better at it.
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What a great idea. Probably something we should all do!
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Day by day. On my way to spend some time with the kiddos now.
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The moment I leave the office, I automatically stop thinking of every single thing about work… I simply focus on what I consider “My real life” which is being home with my family and doing what I enjoy the most 🙂
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Excellent Candace!! I’m working to do the same. Day in and day out.
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Love this post!
Please visit my blog:
https://bathofcolours.wordpress.com
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Love this! I use to let work eat into my time at home, now I’m learning to check it at the door.
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I’m working on it!! Slowly it likes to creep back in, but I’ve been quite careful that it is completely last to every detail including mindless tv watching and catching an early night’s sleep.
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I shared your blog and two of your posts today. !
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Thanks so much! I truly appreciate the warm support. Xoxo
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What great advice!!!! It really is important to make time for each area of your life. Great post. Love It!
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Thanks so much. I absolutely must balance so many different areas of my life. Work, home, family, blog. Work dominated so much for so long that I had to learn to put it on the back seat Over and Over!
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You are right. I am in the phase of life where all is work on my business and my blog, but right now is needed. I have spent my life looking out for others and now i want to help others through my writing. It’s my passion. Please check out my site. Would love your thoughts!
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I definitely will.
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Much appreciated!
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😎
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Oh! Lol. I see you have. Thanks for the support!
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I’m beyond glad I came across this post. I came to final though that to maintain balance, peace and happiness one has to work toward it promoting it by leaving all negative situations aside. Coming home from work is a blessing that we often ignore. We have to acknowledge our home as our sanctuary and treat it as it is, by keeping work business aside.
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