Moderation Matters

This week's lessons are in moderation.  I don't have to do it all at once; tackling a piece of a project provides plenty of pleasure.

This moderation thing plays into time management issues nicely.  

I don't have time to do all of the yard work, but I can complete a small discrete section.  The pictured result utilized rocks that I had elsewhere on the property.  I bought a bag of mulch, of which I used just a bit.  I got exercise by lifting, bending, and hauling.  I got fresh air.  I now have plenty of satisfaction.

The same can be said for my living room.  I don't have to redecorate and clean the whole thing all at once.  A little time spent wth my hope chest results in a lot of satisfaction.  I finally put away my woolens, leaving the top of my hope chest to collect dust.  With a clean slate, I then took books and seashore-inspired items from elsewhere in my house, and made a peaceful place.  The rest of my living room is being taken over by dog hair and dust, but this portion is perfect, for a few minutes anyway.

The feeling of accomplishing a small project surely is better than the paralysis of realizing that time and money constraints won't permit completion of the entire intended project.

Right now, I will focus on what I accomplished with moderation, rather than on what my over-achieving self insanely added to my action register. 

I embrace moderation as a survival tactic.  In the past, I have run from moderation.  After all, how could I embrace the word moderate when Marriam-Webster associates it with mediocre, and defines in part as, "having average or less than average quality?"  Oh, please....  My almost 50-year-old practical self will embrace the other aspects of the definition, including, "avoiding extremes of behavior or expression : observing reasonable limits."

Having had a few minutes of contemplation, I now am ready to tackle what promises to be a way too busy day with my very active 9 year-old Son, who makes all of the craziness worth it.  He constantly amazes and challenges me.