The balance of short vs long

I have been thinking a lot about finding the balance between taking a short and long term perspective with regards to how I make decisions, how I use my time, and the things I give mental and physical energy to.

I like to plan, and I like knowing what is coming up in the days, weeks and months to follow. In and of itself, this is not necessarily a bad thing. And it is one of the reasons that I have been able to do the things I love and want to do by setting priorities and reserving time for these activities.  However, as we all know, I can't control the future, and this would mean I would feel a significant amount of anxiety about the future, but also frustration when things didn't go according to plan (which, is of course, most of the time). I often lived with the anxiety of "tomorrow" interfering with each "today" - it either compounded that day's struggles, or limited the joy, peace and happiness that was to be found in the moment.

Over time (partly thanks to growing up and partly thanks to a deliberate effort on my part), I learnt to focus much more on each day - what could I do each day to live that day fully, whatever it may bring? Naturally, this had many positive consequences for me - I was more engaged in the moment, more ready to have different experiences, less anxious and stressed, and ironically, probably more productive as each day had only the tasks of that day, not those of tomorrow. It also helped me to trust God a lot more with the details of each day.

But it had an unintended consequence, by focusing only on each day, I was tempted to full each day, thinking to myself, "tomorrow will be less full". But of course, it often wasn't less full. This is a recipe for being just a little too busy! So now I find myself making a shift again towards adopting a more long term perspective - not in terms of thinking about all that needs to be done and being anxious about it, but rather thinking in terms of what I need to do (or not do!) today, to be able to best live my tomorrow. Anticipating what is to come does help me realize that I will need energy and resources for busy seasons and it helps me to schedule time to rest in the short term, but also to plan longer breaks. It also has very practical consequences - I try to start each week setting out a meal and exercise plan - this simple task means I know I will be taking care of myself, this followed with placing a priority on getting enough sleep (something that is very important to me) means I can see how much time is left for other activities. Overall, this kind of thinking helps me to be at my best in the different areas of my life.

This understanding partly stemmed from my Mom and a colleague both giving me the advice to take a "longer term perspective" in relation to two different situations we were talking about. These were timely remarks, and so far the new strategy seems to be working well for me. Of course, I don't get it right all the time, and I still have significant opportunity to grow in this area, but I like the results so far. I don't know what the next year to 18months will hold, but I do know that it will bring me finishing my PhD, making career decisions, a potential move, and some church commitments - all of which are going to require me to be strong.

And of course the important caveat to all of this, is that I don't need to do this in my strength. His mercies are new every day, and He promises me my daily bread - strength, peace, joy, and grace for *each* new day, renewed with the rising sun. To close, some lyrics from Sovereign by Chris Tomlin, currently on repeat!

In your everlasting arms
All the pieces of my life
From beginning to the end
I can trust you

In your never failing love
You work everything for good
God whatever comes my way
I will trust you

Blog worthy!

A couple of blog-worthy fun things have happened lately, so here goes:

A Saturday morning run with a good friend followed by brunch with this friend and another - fruit salad, quark, maple syrup, eggs, bread, cheese ham, pain au chocolat, good coffee and happy chatter!

Afternoon tea (although this term does not do it justice - it was more like a meal!) with the lovely connect group ladies. We happily spent the entire afternoon sharing our lives whilst drinking an assortment of great beverages and snacking on cheese, nachos and salsa, berries, sweets, hot chocolate fondants and ice-cream!

Sunday lunch with friends - there are few things as good as easy going meals of cheese, bread, ham and fruit and homemade desserts coupled with good friends and rich conversation.

Skype dates with sisters and friends, and meeting new little people on Skype! (i.e. A friend's baby girl)

Sunny picnic lunches at work

Spontaneous sushi and champagne nights - I have good 'neighbors' don't you think?

Yes, I recognize that none of these events are unusual, but they highlight for me just how much of a difference  the simple pleasures in life make. And, as you may have deduced from this post, food and friends are two central aspects in my life!

Recounting events like these also make me realize again just how blessed I am to have a network of quality friends (all over the world!) -  people with character and soul, who give of themselves, who sow positive seeds and who inspire me to be a better person.

London Town

I  the weekend in London visiting my friend Tiina and we had the most lovely time together!

On Friday night we had a delicious Italian meal for dinner followed by tea and treats and girl talk into the early morning.

After a good sleep, we set out for a 10km run which took us the through the streets of London, St James park, Green Park and Hyde Park and past Buckingham Palace, Albert memorial and the Royal Albert Hall. I really enjoy running in other cities - it is another unique way to see a place and I don't notice the kilometers passing by. We had sushi for lunch (yum!) followed by mc flurrys (double yum) before settling in for the matinee performance of Billy Elliot. Live shows are always such a treat and something I really enjoy, and this was no exception. It was an excellent performance with high quality singing, dancing and acting made all the more impressive by the children in the show! The boy who played Billy is 11, and the talent he has is incredible. The show is quite emotional actually and there were a few moments of tears during the performance.

Saturday night started with dinner at a fantastic restaurant (Fig & Olive) in the trendy suburb of Angel, which had a great atmosphere and very tasty food at good prices. There were 6 of us for dinner - Tiina and her boyfriend, one of his friends, one of our friends from Lausanne and her boyfriend, and another friend of the group. We had a great time - it was a group of high quality, fun and intelligent people - and we really enjoyed the evening together. After dinner we decided to check out some London night life and went out in Shoreditch where we had some drinks and some fun dancing! We crawled into bed at about 3am happy and content!

After a loooong sleep (till 12:30!) Tiina and I headed out for a delicious brunch  at another excellent place (No. 11 Pimlico road) before taking a stroll and having a coffee together. And then it was time for me to head back to Lausanne.

I definitely enjoyed all the good food - London has such an excellent food culture, which reminds me a lot  of home and is something I miss, so it was great to indulge!

Tiina once again resumed her role of "tour guide Tiina" (a title she earned after a fantastic trip together in Barcelona) and was an excellent host! Time with her is always such a treat and I look forward to out next adventure together!