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These past two weeks since the new semester began have been CRAZY, scrambling to regain the rhythm of my new schedule and to resume the various commitments I’ve made. Honestly, although I tried my best to stay calm, I was borderline freaking out. No, I was freaking out. Not a day passed that I wasn’t thinking about what to do next, or fussing about things that had already been done. I couldn’t even enjoy a bowl of Cheerios without my brain going on overdrive.
But thank goodness for that (annoying) project my professor gave me, because in the process of doing it, I finally SMACKED into reality. My assignment was to create a self-portrait using a professional camera, the kind with sharp focus that captures every detail on your face. Unfortunately, included in those details were my very pronounced EYE BAGS that jumped out at me from a mile away.
WHAT PICTURES CAN TELL …
The more I flipped through my photos, the more stunned I became. Not stunned because I was a glowing supermodel in front of the camera, but stunned because I looked incredibly drained and exhausted. I hardly looked like the ‘me’ I remembered. I was surprised that I couldn’t fake it in front of the camera; it was clear that had no peace. My eyes, although I tried to make them look inviting, appeared distant and worn out instead. Their sparkle was gone. My physical appearance showcased my exhaustion more than my mind was willing to acknowledge. I needed a reality check.
I realized that I couldn’t continue living like this—perpetually busy and not having balance in my life. I needed time to breathe. I needed time well-spent with myself in productive solitude. I needed time to catch up with friends, to lose myself in laughter. I needed time to be with God in a place of peace. I needed time to exercise and take care of my health rather than drag myself out of bed like a zombie in exhaustion. I was like a withered plant forcing itself to grow, hardly being nourished by rain or sunlight.
LESSON LEARNED …
The point is that we all need balance in our lives. All of us have important responsibilities, and it is absolutely necessary to stay accountable for them. But problems emerge when we treat ourselves like machines rather than people, forgetting that being human involves other beautiful things in life rather than work. So my challenge for you is to do whatever is necessary to achieve balance in your life. I know I did (I have yet to see how things will go), but please, join me in the journey. 🙂
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Celine Diaz: Real Talk 
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Its crazy that I'm reading your post today, right after I reflected on how my day went. I went to a mock interview today, dressed right but not quite prepared for the interview itself. The one big advice given to me to improve my interview performance was to “budget my time, and to prepare ahead of the interview.” Seems like common sense doesn't it? But with the life of a student, with work, and service… the day just doesn't seem to end. It was a reality check for me to get my life in order. I absolutely agree that we treat ourselves like machines, and expect ourselves to be in tip-top shape for the next day, next class, next task, but then again, we can only do so much, right? I guess a part of it also learning to say 'no' to things, which is a hard for a person like me who likes to get involved in EVERYTHING. In a way, this allows the rest of your life to be in order and be better taken care of. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, it definitely sheds light into my own thoughts as well. God bless you! 🙂
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