Outlaw Zen

I returned last week from a conference in Barcelona to jump right into coaching seven little girls in their final week of their Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving competition, supporting my son’s performances as the King in the middle school production of the "King and I," spending the day at the Odyssey of the Mind competition, writing three proposals for new clients, working for existing clients, and writing my May/June column. And did I mention my mother and sister-in-law came to visit and stay with us this weekend? By Sunday I was speaking in tongues. I didn’t just take a nap I think I actually passed out. Someone asked me in the thick of things this week, "How do you find the energy?" I think you just do. The energy to accomplish your work and to support your family is non-negotiable. You just do it. You might get cranky and you might even decide not to make the dinner but to bring it in. But I find when I just put my head down and do what needs to get done — somehow miraculously it gets done and oddly it energizes me. Everyone these days is looking for balance. I believe when you stop searching for balance and instead just to do the task before you — it’s amazing how balanced you feel as a result. In my play "Pumping Josey" the character stresses about how to pursue her dreams while dealing with all the mundane errands of life. And she is answered by her dead friend, "You don’t need to have it all every day just have a day that’s all." Not every day is momentous. Sometimes the days are just days. But to me having it all, is recognizing that a life is made up of all those days and realizing that you are doing something with each of them, even if it’s just one thing — like the laundry (oh yeah, I did that Sunday too). Balance, comes from recognizing that today is just a day.

Author: Pam Sherman