This week my Ponderings are about how we all stay calm, feel in control of our lives, make the right choices, and feel safe about the direction our lives are taking. I'm also pondering how we make sure the people who matter so much to our sanity, and to our sense of mattering, don't get pushed to the bottom of the list while we try to keep up with everything else.
How do we decide who gets our time, our attention and our emotional energy? This is becoming increasingly important in a world where we desperately need deep, meaningful relationships, yet so much of our time is spent managing communication with hundreds of people. We answer WhatsApps, emails, Teams messages, social media comments, and notifications, often leaving less emotional capacity for the people who are actually most significant to us
Making new friends as an adult isn't easy. With all 3 of my children now living their lives in other countries I needed to fill a gap. I was invited into a new group of women, and I was genuinely excited. It takes courage to step into an established group, especially when life is already full with work, family and all the responsibilities we carry. I suspect many of you will know exactly what I mean.
We all have a limited capacity for connections, some wider than others. I know someone who has the ability to have dinner parties every weekend and invites 6- 8 people. She is popular and amazing. However, from a capacity point of view, does she remember the important things in my life? Do I get unexpected messages asking how I am, remembering an important event in my life? No, that is beyond her capacity; knowing so many people, I feel that would be impossible for her.
We all have a limited capacity for connections, some wider than others. I know someone who has the ability to have dinner parties every weekend and invites 6- 8 people. She is popular and amazing. However, from a capacity point of view, does she remember the important things in my life? Do I get unexpected messages asking how I am, remembering an important event in my life? No, that is beyond her capacity; knowing so many people, I feel that would be impossible for her.