Life's Palette

This morning I spent some time working on Leadership McLean County stuff, then switched over to some guitar practice when I sensed my energy for LMC fading a bit, then found that I was in the mood to catch up on some blogging. I came to wondering if keeping a variety of life activities handy was like an artist with a palette of colors to choose from while painting. How good would the result be if red were the only option? Plus, painters don't always proceed in a linear fashion... they not only move around the canvas but they mix colors as inspiration strikes them. If you're like me, your energy for certain things has its own rhythm like the tide. I've found it personally healthy to match my activities with those moments when I'm most ready to do them. For a fixed obligation, that means keeping a mental eye on its approach so that when it gets here I'm ready to roll. For softer things, I flow with my impulses and do what grabs me most at the moment. My personality type is such that in the big picture, it's been helpful when I'm careful to keep a balanced collection of commitments and optional activities on the table so that life feels more like a work of art, and less like a burdensome drive down a black tunnel.