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I drove to work with physics on my mind. I was in deep thought about perpetual motion machines.  You know those silver beads in a line that knock each other so the end swings out and back and starts the motion again. How do they stay moving without a motor and a battery?

When I was young my father ordered a grandfather clock kit.  I remember sitting with him in the basement as he put the pieces together, sanded and stained the wood, and lastly placed the clock at the top.  Once we moved it upstairs, we started the pendulum so it could keep time. There is a round piece on the pendulum that provides weight and direction. This weight needs to be in just the right place to keep it swinging. If the weight is too high the pendulum will move too fast and far, if it is too low it moves slower. In both cases momentum cannot be maintained and it will eventually stop. The trick is to find the sweet spot where speed and distance are balanced and equal. Once balance is found the gears can maintain the forward and back motion and the clock will keep time.

This week, Broadway will begin a new series called Investing in the Movement with a message titled: Investing in Yourself. I’ll be open and vulnerable with you.  I have been in a blue period recently.  I’m ok, just out of balance and struggling with staying motivated and productive. So, I have set to examining where my unbalance is coming from.

Like many, I start Monday with optimism and a plan to be kind and helpful. During the week, my curiosity about the things of this world gets the better of me and I turn to social media or my preferred news channel to check it all out. Honestly, I become easily overwhelmed. As a result, my abilities to keep up slowly grind to a halt.

So, where is the place that I can turn back to the center? Where do I find what grounds me?  Where is the sweet spot? 

I’ve come to call Fridays my sabbath. On Fridays, the choice of how to spend my time and attention are mine.  So, what is worth my time and attention? Instead of stepping into the abyss of news and social media, I am trying to choose to unplug and consider time spent from the following list:

  •  a walk in the sun
  • reading
  • scratching  and cuddling with two family pets
  • connecting with friends and family
  • engaging in a craft or creative activity

And, wait and anticipate Sunday morning.  Take care of yourselves, and see you there.

Teresa