I feel like a juggler trying to balance so much at any given time
If you imagine the balls or the skittles as “roles” then think about how much juggling we women do on any given day. We are partners, mothers, sisters, aunts, employers, employees and students and as many other titles as we care to dream up.
Juggling these roles is an art form and one to take a lifetime of practice.
I “juggle” by compartmentalising. My juggling is fast and furious and I have to deal with one situation while many others float above and around me. See why it is such a fabulous analogy?
Men don’t juggle, or if they do it’s two by two. At least most men I know. They are more like tightrope walkers; one foot in front of the other, arms outstretched and never looking down.
Within our roles, there are so many subcategories.
As a mother, I can be at a financial advisor or an emotional counsellor, fashion consultant or housekeeping service. Know what I mean? As a partner, I can be all those and more. As a boss, I juggle the role of teacher and nag; trying to enlighten without demoralising and trying to correct without admonishing. Trying to inform and stimulate without being tiresome and boring. It’s a juggle.
As jugglers, we must keep secrets.
The right hand must operate simultaneously but alone, for example, a parent sometimes has secrets from a partner because of the child’s needs. I find it complicated keeping all sides happy. Women very rarely do one task at a time and those tasks can be entirely independent or “secret” of each other.
We are present.
We must be ready without notice to work these roles to the best of our abilities. Tiredness or not bothering never comes into it and it oftentimes feels like we are on standby 24/7.
We are ambidextrous.
Our right and left are aware of each other. We are the great masters of manipulation in the best sense and we can plan outcomes in a strategic sense. Thinking forward, planning and working towards the desired result is our forte.
We are skilled.
If we were jugglers in the real sense, Circle du Soleil would be beating down our doors. Juggling our roles requires intent and purpose; women are blessed with good intent and true purpose. I believe we throw our hearts and souls into all that we do and especially when it comes to our families.
We are negotiators.
We know our strengths, weaknesses and our limits and we can prioritise the most important first. What is more pressing? Where does my emotional bandwidth need to sit today? Women negotiate with themselves on a daily basis to work this.
We can identify.
Like a juggler, we know the moves before they are needed. Is it inherent or from experience? So often I can see the answers for my children long before they can and for my husband too and oftentimes for my employees. It’s not because I’m so clever, it’s because as a grown woman perhaps I have learned the hard way or simply I am an unbiased observer.
We are energised.
Juggling means not only skill but also energy and so much energy is needed to manage, to solve and to find solutions on a daily basis. The life of a female is tiring work, never easy and sometimes thankless but that’s not why we do it and I would never, ever change it.
The truth of it is I love the role of “the juggler” in my world.
It is never dull, always challenging and keeps me on top of my game. I make sure to have enough time for me, to replenish and to re-energise – and to practice; a professional hones his craft on a regular basis and as women, we must too.
Did you girls realise you were jugglers? xv
Me Time: Juggle In This
divine leggings || zella rythmn sports bra || girlfriend collective sports bra || camo print leggings I love this print || zella tee
images, john rawlings, jesus cordero
