Tattoos and Mindset Revisions

Last week I was asked about finding “ᴡᴏʀᴋ-ʟɪꜰᴇ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ”.  I giggled out loud a little bit, for this was one of my first questions to my first coach. I said to her, “I cannot seem to find it. ⚖️ It is hiding from me.”

There was a time in life when I thought I understood balance: It meant equal, stable, deeply rooted, and unperturbed by my conditions. Strong and firm. I wanted to hold on to this idea so much that I got the word tattooed on my left wrist to help me  ‘remember’ to stay balanced. 

In so many instances of the unfortunate conditions in my life that left me feeling wobbly⚖️, I would look at my wrist and get frustrated at my inability to maintain my balance (the strong and firm one that could withstand anything…gracefully). My inked reminder wasn’t working as it was supposed to. I wanted to see the word, remember the definition, and simply be balanced in the place I was.

When I realized, through work with my own incredible coaches, that balance can only be found within constant motion (the pull between happiness and suffering, work and life, healthy and unhealthy), and that it is my ability (or lack thereof at times in my life) to align with it that allows joy to shine (or joy to wait patiently in the corner), I was changed forever.

We see this dance in the push and pull of every moment between centrifugal force and gravity. It is undeniable that balance and stasis are not the same thing.

It is a reminder that change is the only constant: We can stand firm against it, or we can move with it. In this way, work-life balance (as so many other struggles) simply becomes an inquiry into:

✨𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕧𝕒𝕝𝕦𝕖?

✨ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕕𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕤 (𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕪)?

✨𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥(𝕤) 𝕠𝕗 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕞 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥?

✨𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕗𝕥 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕧𝕒𝕝𝕦𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕤.

In a safe and judgment free space, we get curious about what drives you toward your goals and what steers you away from your goals. We stretch and hold tight, we look outward and within, we celebrate and we struggle. But we will get you there if you are ready to find the joy within the ebb and flow of life’s conditions. 

Until then, to get you started on your journey to embracing the ever changing world of “ᴡᴏʀᴋ-ʟɪꜰᴇ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ” (or whatever you are seeking), I have a few nuggets of gold for you. I did not write this list, but it’s really a great starting point for finding the right balance for your particular work-life needs. A huge thank you to Marisa Sanfilippo, Business News Daily Contributing Writer, for summarizing it so nicely. Read the full article for more insights – they are good! Together, we can tackle all of these:

1. Accept that there is no ‘perfect’ work-life balance.

2. Find a job that you love.

3. Prioritize your health.

4. Don’t be afraid to unplug.

5. Take a vacation.

6. Make time for yourself and your loved ones.

7. Set boundaries and work hours.

8. Set goals and priorities (and stick to them).

Balance is never hiding from us.  It is always pulling us in each moment – to find the right balance for that right moment – always knowing it could change in the next. It requires your full involvement as well as your ability to shift and wobble and always seek to re-align. 

I didn’t disparage my tattoo as incomplete, but I decided to bring a new reminder to my left wrist – one that recognizes growth and change and adversity and triumph. So I got my #fourlittlebirds (Birdyshaw Family, Party of 4) tattooed above the precious word. Each bird is in its own stage of flight, in its own direction, in its own way heading forward – ever changing. Despite using the same ink to create them, they each have their own shading and appearance – so similar yet so different. My darling Birds remind me that though we move and fly through life, it is the adjustment to the wind that keeps us moving forward✨

Much Love, 

✨ Michaela