17 November 2023

I don’t know about you, but this has been a WAW – a What A Week week. From the beginning it has delivered curved balls and twists and turns galore. Have you had one too? I see you.

In the midst of a WAW, there are, as always are moments of pure joy and beauty. Like getting this note written on my whiteboard…

Or that session I had with a boy who just wanted to play in silence and I thought to myself “I feel you buddy, I am right here with you enjoying this silence!”

When you’re going through a WAW, there are times you question yourself, you feel defeated by fatigue and not on your “A” game. But you can also feel like you’re still trying your best.

I received this in my inbox, written by Austin Channing Brown and it encouraged me immensely. I hope it can encourage you too.

Two things can be true –

Austin Channing Brown

You can be devastated by the heavy state of the world and are still allowed to feel joy.

You can unconditionally love someone and still remove yourself from their life.

You can adore your family and friends and still need a break from them.

You can be understanding and still hold strong your boundaries.

You can do your absolute best at that time and still cause pain.

You can forgive and not reconcile.

You can be healing and still be triggered.

You can be proud of your progress and still be figuring things out.

You can be strong and still need help.

You can be a person of faith and still struggle with depression and anxiety.

You can come to grips with a loss and never stop mourning.

You can not be chosen and still be worthy.

You can have simple needs and complex emotions.

You can be perfect as you are and know you will never do everything right.

I think I needed that last sentence the most this week, how about you?

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It’s time to assess that full plate of yours.

In a leadership workshop several years ago and one of the speakers spoke to the simple idiom that we often use “I have a very full plate.” She posed some reflective questions that I have thought about frequently over the years as I have struggled with managing busy-ness and capacity.

We can often feel like our plate is full, because it probably is full! But how often do we take time to think about the size of our plate, what is actually on it, and what could possibly change.

If your plate is full, it could be a time for a larger plate, to match the capacity at which you’re living and working. OR it could be time to have a long, hard look at what is on your plate and whether it is time to remove something from it.

New things always make your plate feel really full and heavy. Moving from a part time to full time work load, for example,  can feel really exhausting at first, but can start to feel more manageable as you master new things, and adjust your rhythm to new demands. If you’re in a season of starting new things, I suspect it may be time to swop your old plate for a new, larger one to meet the new demands.

If you’ve been in the same environment or work space for a long time, it may be good to scrutinize what’s taking up space on your plate but maybe not actually serving you or others any more. You may find yourself looking at a whole lot of “junk food” on your plate that is not nourishing, easily digestible or sustaining.  It can be way easier said than done to remove something off your plate. Naming what is on your plate, exploring what is permanent and what is for a season can help you to get some perspective and make at least some decisions that give you some control over what is on your plate.

I don’t think in this day and age our plates will ever not be full, but we need to see ourselves as worthy of having as nutritious, balanced and healthy a plate as possible. Here’s a little idea to process your current plate. Get a paper plate and write up what you have on your plate right now, what you’re doing as well as what you’re dreaming or thinking about. Don’t forget about important relationships! Share your plate reflection with someone you trust. Enjoy the learning!

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