I love what I do but I am TIRED. Does that make sense?  I truly believe that I’m living in my purpose and am on the path to doing the work I was meant to do. However, that doesn’t mean that the journey to reach my goals is going to be entirely easy and pleasant. One question that many young people face is “how do I balance being in the midst of my purpose and working towards my goals while simultaneously feeling overwhelmed?” The first step to answering this question is to assure yourself that feeling overwhelmed is completely normal. Don’t feel bad or let anyone make you feel bad for the times that you struggle and want to give up. What you are doing isn’t easy. If it was, everyone and their momma would be doing it. Once you realize that the struggle is normal and nothing to be ashamed of, the next step is finding true balance. Just because you are pursuing something your heart desires doesn’t mean it should take or even has to take up all your time – twenty four hours, seven days a week. You need to take breaks or you run the risk of your dream beginning to feel like a burden. You don’t want to get to this point because it makes giving up seem so much more easy and tangible. 

What I do to try and maintain balance is give myself other healthy hobbies. I have a couple books I want to read and recently purchased a crochet kit. Sometimes, I’m only able to read five pages a week and I haven’t been able to actually use my crochet set yet….but it is a start! You can see I am at least trying to have other things to focus on. The next thing that I do to maintain balance, that actually takes up a manageable amount of time, is taking care of my dog, Robin.   

Robin is a one-year old pug/poodle mix. Because she is so young, she has a lot of energy. She is literally on 10 all the time. Making sure that she is properly walked, fed, loved and cared for is what needs to be done to make sure my dog is healthy and happy. When I take her for her walks, I use that time to be with my thoughts or to listen to new music from my favorite artists. Another thing about my dog is that she requires a lot of physical affection. She is literally under my arm as I type this article. Learning to take the time to allow myself to be loved by my dog has really increased my happiness, especially because I now live further from my friends and family. Your solution may not be to get a pet (they are a HUGE responsibility and EXPENSIVE) but make sure whatever it is brings you peace in your busy life. 

Hey, if you are reading this, I want you to know that everything is okay and will work out. The work you are doing is HARD. Do not compare yourself to others that make it “look” easy, emphasis on the quotation mark. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Your crown represents your goals. Just because you want them and you wear them with pride does not mean that they are light and easy. Listen to my words and stay blessed!