Things that Matter Most

As you may have guessed, Zumba is something I adore. I love the music, the history behind the basic steps, the people who attend, and the good vibes I feel when working out. It really has become something I am passionate about. I started teaching at a small local gym. The class is small (compared to the 104 people they had Wednesday night at Golds Gym) but, I enjoy every second of it.

Zachary asked me today "Mom, where does Zumba live?"
ME: "What do you mean Zach? Zumba doesnt live anywhere."
Zach: "When you go with Zumba to the gym, does she go home with you?"
ME: "No, Zumba is not a person. Zumba is a class I go to at the gym."
Zach:"Oh. Its not a girl?"
ME: "Nope"
Poor kid. I think he thought I was going with someone named Zumba all the time to the gym. It made me feel bad because he thought I was spending all this time on Zumba, and he wanted to know who I was sharing my time with. Maybe he was feeling like I was with someone more than him. It worried me a little. Dont get me wrong, heaven knows I need some time to myself. To refuel myself and "fill my well". I just dont ever want to have something like a gym class become a distraction from my real love...My family.
Its hard to find balance in the world. Its hard to wear so many different hats as mother, wife, sister, friend, a human being and not feel disconnected to some of the responsibilities of daily life. I am trying to maintain that balance. Sometimes I do better than others. Its a challenge to all women to balance their desires, needs, wants and expectations with everyday responsibilities and realities.

In light of these feelings, I went back and read a Confrence Talk from Oct 2009 .

I'll put a few excerpts of it to make my point. It gave me some much needed guidance.
"On a dark December night 36 years ago, a Lockheed 1011 jumbo jet crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing over 100 people. This terrible accident was one of the deadliest crashes in the history of the United States.
A curious thing about this accident is that all vital parts and systems of the airplane were functioning perfectly—the plane could have easily landed safely at its destination in Miami, only 20 miles (32km) away.
During the final approach, however, the crew noticed that one green light had failed to illuminate—a light that indicates whether or not the nose landing gear has extended successfully. The pilots discontinued the approach, set the aircraft into a circling holding pattern over the pitch-black Everglades, and turned their attention toward investigating the problem.
They became so preoccupied with their search that they failed to realize the plane was gradually descending closer and closer toward the dark swamp below. By the time someone noticed what was happening, it was too late to avoid the disaster.
After the accident, investigators tried to determine the cause. The landing gear had indeed lowered properly. The plane was in perfect mechanical condition. Everything was working properly—all except one thing: a single burned-out lightbulb. That tiny bulb—worth about 20 cents—started the chain of events that ultimately led to the tragic death of over 100 people.
Of course, the malfunctioning lightbulb didn’t cause the accident; it happened because the crew placed its focus on something that seemed to matter at the moment while losing sight of what mattered most.The tendency to focus on the insignificant at the expense of the profound happens not only to pilots but to everyone. We are all at risk.
Sometimes the things that distract us are not bad in and of themselves; often they even make us feel good.It is possible to take even good things to excess. One example can be seen in a father or grandfather who spends hours upon hours searching for his ancestors or creating a blog while neglecting or avoiding quality or meaningful time with his own children and grandchildren. Another example could be a gardener who spends his days pulling weeds from the soil while ignoring the spiritual weeds that threaten to choke his soul. we must not lose focus on the things that matter most.

I need to write this down. Read it often. And put it into practice everyday.