“I feel like running away!” my neighbor exclaimed when I caught up with her after work one day. She added in exasperation, “I can’t do it all.”
Do you feel like hiding from the expectations weighing on you? Maybe your boss has just asked you to work overtime. Now you must arrange pick up for the kids and cancel a social event this evening. Meanwhile, an urgent request sits unanswered in your inbox, and a voicemail from a needy friend pops up in your notifications. Where do you draw the line?
Your packed calendar signals there’s no relief in sight.
Do you serve too many bosses? Asking yourself these questions might help you find peace.
1. Principals—Who’s the Boss?
Whether you serve one principal boss or answer to an entire chain of command, it’s impossible to satisfy everyone and worse if they contradict one another. Adding to their demands are the loud expectations of our culture. We subconsciously serve the most demanding voices, so we stifle our deep desires and do our duty.
I recently noticed that at every request for my time, I felt angry. I acted grumpy even toward the grandkids. Upon analysis, I discovered the expectations prevented me from spending time on a personal writing project. Are you frustrated? Maybe something has blocked your heart’s desire.
Consider the obligations begging your attention. Evaluate which voices need to be heeded. Then commit to what is important to you. This necessitates prioritizing your values.
2. Priorities—Where to Focus?
Consider the obligations begging your attention. Evaluate which voices need a response. Determine which commitments align with your values, and then commit to doing what is important to you.
Do you find time to satisfy the desires of your heart? Look at your time use. Does it reflect your priorities? It may not be a time problem but a priority problem.
If you feel overworked, you might ask your boss to prioritize your projects. Follow their directive and in that way, the responsibility falls back on them.
When making a major time commitment, I find it helpful to ask myself, “What roles do I serve that no one else can?” A wife to my husband. A mother to my children. Primary earner. Reorder your priorities to reflect your most important roles and spend quality time on those.
If you could reorder your priorities, what would be your ideal? What would bring you the most peace?
3. Peace—What is Your Why?
You may have a ready answer for why you do what you do—“I work because I need the money.” “I work overtime because if I didn’t, I’d lose my job.” “I work to provide my children the best educational opportunities.” “I serve my church because no one else is stepping up.”
Someone showed me how to drill down to find my “why.” For each expectation that demands your attention, continue to ask why. For example: “I work because I need the money.” Why? “Because my husband’s income isn’t enough.” Why? “Truth is, we’re in debt.” Why? “We need to handle our money more wisely.”
In this case, the solution might be handling money better, not earning additional income. Alternatively, you might say, “I work because I enjoy it.” Ask why to discover new things about your desires. Then determine how to satisfy those deeper needs rather than reacting to outside demands.
Make God your boss
Serve One Boss
Make God your boss. It takes resolve and determination to follow Jesus. Your circumstances may or may not dramatically change, and your work boss will likely still ask you to work overtime, but you will be better prepared to give an answer true to your heart.
Once again, I argued with the doubt demons and reminded myself of all the good reasons I should continue. Still uninspired, I did what I so often do—I edit what I’ve already written. How many times have I done that??? Stop that Kathy! Oh, don’t get me wrong, my writing needs editing, but it is not moving my story forward!
Is your momentum is waning? Do you need to develop good writing habits? Watch for my next blog series called: “Writer’s Block Busters.” As you read these, I hope you will participate by responding and sharing the ideas that have worked for you. So be thinking about what you’d like to add and share it in the comments section.
breaking through writer’s blocks (both physically and mentally). In the next few weeks, I’ll be blogging on “Eight Writer’s Block Busters.” If you have some tips that work for you, please share them in the comments area! We will all thank you! 
The other day my grown daughter commented, “Mom, you are always writing for someone else, why don’t you write for your family?” She proceeded to remind me about some children’s books I had started years ago when she was growing up. Since then, her words keep ringing in my ears. It got me questioning, “Why am I writing?” How about you?
My husband has a journal from his great grandmother, Lucy, who lived from 1878 to 1960. It is entitled: “Seventy Years of Living.” It is profoundly interesting reading about what life was like, but not nearly as interesting as the lessons we learned from her life and the characteristics I see present in her great, great grandson! We learned of a young couple who were intent on building a farm and a lifestyle. They were entrepreneur types always expanding at great financial risk. Unfortunately, they borrowed rather than saved to have the things they thought they needed. They were particularly impressed with the latest and greatest inventions of the time—like a flush toilet for example! Dean’s great uncle, the oldest of the children, complained he’d have to run upstairs and refill it with water every time anyone flushed! Funny? Not so very much. They lost the farm. But they endured and that’s the real lesson.
On another occasion, we were cleaning out his grandmother’s attic and discovered a gorgeous family photo album. As we looked through the obviously well-preserved document of history, nameless faces stared back. Not a single photo was named or dated. It was meaningless to us! It might as well have been a book of strangers! We passed it on to another relative who didn’t know them either. Our children will never know who from that side of the family they might resemble. Please, label your pictures! Someone will appreciate it one day.
perspective provide the proper shape, proportion, and position to make things appear three dimensional and realistic. Usually one-point perspective is taught first where you are at the center of the picture and the vanishing point is right in front of you. Much more interesting is two-point perspective as seen in the picture at the right. There are two vanishing points one at each side of the picture revealing more dimension. Imagine yourself standing in different locations in this picture, you’d have an altered view of the very same reality. In writing editorials, offering differing points of view can bring balance and validity to your message. In your stories, providing differing points of view can add interest and dimension to your characters.
Two-point perspective also reminds us that there are two sides to an argument. You don’t have to agree with the other person but viewing things from their position will give you insights into their backstory. Ordinarily, I’m more tenderhearted about bunnies, but my response was provoked by the amount of work I had put into nurturing those flowers and plants and uncharacteristically, I was already planning that rabbit’s demise. It is a reminder that our beliefs, personality, and life experiences are like the hidden perspective guidelines that shape how we respond to what we see. Try tracing these out in your next conversation.
Building a platform
The best time for me to be available is in the early morning. I love to start the day on the patio with my cup of coffee and daily devotions. As I watch the rising sun shimmering through the leaves of the trees, smell the dew drenched earth, and delight in the songs of the birds, I imagine I’m in my own Garden of Eden expecting to hear the voice of God. I believe God wants to speak to us through his Word. He wants to tell you who you really are—that you are valuable, accepted, and with his help becoming complete. May you find your place in God’s grand story.
WOW! Write On Wisdom 
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