A blog post about burning out and being awesome.
The first novella that I wrote is You Are Woman. It is about 17 different women and the interactions that we have with each of them in everyday situations.
The book contrasts what we see and experience, with each woman's reality.
It is easy to find admirable qualities in other people which make us feel like we don't quite measure up in some way.
Every single other person is going to be better than us at something.
But guess what that means - we are going to be better than every single other person at something.
One of the characters in You Are Woman is supermum, Tania. You know the type. The one who shows up to every single event and activity, never forgets anything, is actively cheering on all the kids, makes the best cupcakes, handmakes the best costumes, looks impeccable, is friends with everyone (including her kids), has a spotless house, etc.
To outside eyes, Tania is a perfect mother.
But... she is hiding a secret.
Tania is on a cycle of repeated episodes of burnout.
Do all the things. Manage well. Feel great. Start to get tired. Lose motivation. Withdraw. Stop doing everything. Hibernate in a hole. Start to feel better. Do things. Manage. Add more things until doing all the things again. Manage well and thrive. Feel great. Start to get tired... Repeat the cycle forever.
I write about this cycle from experience.
This is how it is for me. Cycle lengths vary.
I was on top, kicking arse, for many months this time (although I am no supermum, trust me!). But here I am, attempting to claw myself out of a burnout hole again.
So, here I am being real with you.
I have written a number of blogs giving advice about different things, but I certainly am not perfect. I tend to go too hard and focus too narrowly, to the detriment of family and social life, and everything else, really.
We all have our own issues.
That is what You Are Woman is about.
All 17 incredible women do have fantastic qualities that should be admired, but there are also dark sides too. Each of them has their own issues to deal with.
We are all crazy, we are all just different shades of crazy. Truth.
But we can all learn from each other - from our best parts, and our worst.
We can help each other grow, by being honest and real.
So, I will slow things down for a while. Until I get back on top again. I won't stop altogether. Actually, what you see will probably look pretty normal. But for me, I am trying to introduce some balance and get rid of the constant feeling of anxiety that won't leave me alone, like I need to hurry and should be doing something else all the time. Always feeling like the world is moving too fast for me.
I'm going to try to spend more time being present. Not thinking about everything else. I'm not sure how. My brain doesn't like to conform like this. But, I'm working on it (any tips on mindfulness and meditation? Anyone?).
This is my gift to you: A reminder to slow down and try to find your own type of balance wherever it is needed. A reminder that we all struggle in our own ways, and we all rock in our own ways too.
Much love - Marley x
P.S. You Are Woman ebook can be found on Amazon US HERE (AUS link HERE). It's less than $1. Give it a read. It might help x
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