Don't eat the whole banana leaf

My hubby uses this phrase all the time, particularly when I start to feel overwhelmed by the amount of things I need/want to get done. See, I have a habit of trying to "eat the whole banana leaf" all at once. If you've ever seen one, you'll understand what I mean....

(Those leaves can grow almost nine feet long and two feet wide. Talk about a mouthful!!)

What's important to you?

Compared to the amount of work I used to get done in a given day, I've become a lazy shadow of my former self. However, that's been kind of wonderful for me (in a strange way), because it's allowed me more time and freedom to think about things I've put off...in some cases, for years. I love coming up with grand plans and/or project ideas, but never seem to find time to follow through on them. My hubby is always telling me I deserve a break -- after all, I've been working hard (and consistently) for nearly 25 years now -- but I struggle to feel worthy.

With all the recent changes in my life, that's begun to change as well -- albeit in baby steps.

Perfection is overrated

Today, I've been constantly reminded of my desire to be perfect...and how much of a letdown it is when I realize it's never gonna happen. Trust me, this happens a lot.

In reading The Happiness Project (which I'll admit to having a slight obsession with at the moment), I've also started following Gretchen Rubin's blog -- and today, one thing she mentioned was:

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

These words really hit home for me, and have since I was a child.

Is happiness really that fleeting?

I started reading a new book on Sunday: The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, by Gretchen Rubin. I love this book!

The last two that I finished (Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine by Ann Hood, and Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel) were somewhat disappointing...the former was a good read right up until the fizzled ending, but the latter was just strange - and not in a good way. Too bad, as I'd been looking forward to reading them both. (I did enjoy Life of Pi when I read it a few years ago, and it was written by the same author as Beatrice and Virgil.)

Thankfully, The Happiness Project is not only well-written, on a concept that's always intrigued me, but the author has a great combination of right-brain/left-brain going on that is fascinating to me. A former lawyer turned writer, writing a book on how to achieve more happiness in life? Sounds like exactly what I need to be reading right now (says the former Wall-Streeter turned soon-to-be-mother, writing a blog on the changes in my life)!