Time to Reset

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“Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls…are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.” – James Patterson

There’s a young man in our neighborhood that’s learning to juggle. In fact, he’s the same young man who does magic tricks that I’ve written about.

Now that he’s 12, he’s started hiring himself out for birthday parties. He really does a great job with the patter and the magic. He’s such a delightful, inquisitive, and polite young man that it’s impossible not to root for him.

When it comes to juggling, he gets it done. But not exactly with the flawless execution of someone in a circus show. It’s more like a suspense act where you worry for every ball.

Funny thing is that is how I’m feeling in this first week of September. I’ve got the home projects to stain and seal before the rain comes, the fall clothes shopping, the million and one forms to fill out for back to school, and a family wedding. And work and the class I’m teaching next week? Well, let’s just say I’m keeping the balls in the air but everyone watching is probably a little worried about the show.

So I’m delighted that in the latest episode of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, I get to talk with my co-host Vicki Atkinson about the need to nest.

As September begins, we feel the summer’s intensity wane in the Northern Hemisphere. While I cherish summer, there’s a point where the expectations for endless outdoor fun with my family become overwhelming.

Vicki and I discuss transitioning from the carefree days of summer to the structured school year. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, empty nester, or caregiver, we explore the opportunities that come with a fall reset.

From dedicating more time to writing and reflecting to tackling projects set aside for vacations or house guests, we can embrace the seasonal shift.

Vicki shares insights from a nutritionist and the Surgeon General, offering food for thought on eating earlier and acknowledging our burdens.

These are all great ideas for recognizing the benefits of resetting with the change of seasons. So, let’s put on our cozy sweaters, don our creative thinking caps, and enjoy the fall.

I’m confident you’ll love the scenic and beautiful places we explore as we share the power of storytelling.

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 83: The Need to Nest with Vicki and Wynne

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Transcript for this episode: Episode 83 transcript

Links for this Episode:

Episode 83 show notes

(featured photo from Pexels)

51 thoughts on “Time to Reset”

  2. this is a season of transition, (and my fav season), when many things fall into place, have to be adjusted, attended to, or changed, and it seems to all come at once, as you’ve described. i think, like the juggler, it’s not a perfect process, a few balls have to fall at times, and that’s okay.

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  4. The fall reset is one of the things about fall I love, along with the weather. You describe it well, Wynne. I’m intrigued by the notion that eating earlier is good for you. There’s always some new theory!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. The eating earlier theory is actually not new Jane- I learned it years ago when I was making changes to my diet. There are negative correlations especially to eating dinner at 6 or later (and/or having snacks after that) and then going to bed within about 3 hours of that often heavy meal. Metabolism is not a fan of stuff just sitting in the gut as the body slows down to rest.

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  5. As a long-time caregiver, I wish there were only 5 balls to juggle when, on any given day, there can be over a dozen. The reality is that sometimes some get dropped, and you realize that they will bounce back up in one way or another.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. That’s such a powerful quote from Patterson. We can drop the ball at work, but the consequences are much greater when we slip up with our loved ones, out well being, and our morals. It’s so important to keep that in mind — if a ball needs to fall, we should be mindful of which one we let go of. Great stuff, Wynne!

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  9. There is irony here Wynne. Mostly I am grateful that the major juggling is gone but there are those too quiet, too not enough filled days that I miss at times. I think as we age that concept is often tied to purpose…

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  10. Such a good metaphor of juggling various needs. And fall can bring a welcome reset after the summer days that can be hectic. But then, your schedule sounds crowded. I hope your many projects go smoothly! 🌞

    Liked by 1 person

  11. They call them the “carefree days of summer,” but in my experience, I work harder during those three months than at any other point of the year. I wouldn’t mind some carefree days of autumn instead!

    Do you guys still do monthly themes for your HOTM posts?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes – you guys have been working awfully hard! Here’s to the carefree days of Autumn.

      We haven’t been doing themes recently. Why – do you have a good one?

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  12. I would feel the transition it we had had summer in Brussels. It has been a long line from winter to some days of spring and a rainy summer. Actually we hope here that summer could still come in September and bring us some sunny days 🌞. I see your metaphor and I like it Wynne, but no summer for me (I didn’t even take leave, but it’s planned for October).

    Liked by 1 person

  13. That young man has ingenuity to master card tricks and now juggling, kudos to him. I didn’t do a reset on purpose, but the first week of September had me going through my schedule, household, garage, etc…. trying to get things as streamlined and structured as possible. Life has a way of throwing lots of chaos at us, and forcing us to juggle too many balls. It’s nice for me to know I have a foundation beneath me, for whatever happens next.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, I love your point about foundation, Rose. That’s a great way to handle all the balls. And your words – structured and streamlined. Yes, hopefully that’s what comes with this fall shift!

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  15. Keeping all the balls in the air…so don’t envy you Wynne. Just the back to school activity is enough balls. You’ve got this girl. I’m not looking on worried. I’m sure you’re keeping it all going while remembering that, as you said, some of those balls are rubber and will bounce back.
    Love the quote and the connections you built here.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Wynne honey, I feel your pain. Before you can’t do any juggling at all, girl, you got to put some of those balls down, and carry only one ball until it gets to it’s destination! If you don’t pause and breathe, you’re going to pass out and then who will step in and start juggling for you. Cute story about the 12-year old juggling entrepreneur in your neighborhood! Love it! 🤹🏼‍♂️🤹🏼‍♂️🤹🏼‍♂️

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  19. A working mom by nature has to be a juggler, and sometimes it’s necessary to cut out some extra stuff, no matter how much we want to do it. My daughter, a single mom of 3, became a Scout leader when the kids were in Scouts, but all the planning and prep work, plus the meetings and the camping trips all proved to be too much to do over the long run, so she had to drop it.

    Are there things that you can put on the shelf for a while, so you can get through this phase?

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  20. You need to have your neighborhood young magician check out the story and ted talk from Brian Miller. He started out as a magician for hire and now he’s teaching people how to speak publicly. I’m going to check out your podcast. Looks fabulous. Hugs, C

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  23. As I commented in the related HOTM post, this was a nice way to end what was quite a stressful day. But the Patterson quote is so true, there are many balls that will bounce back because they are rubber but there are those, like our loved ones, that are more fragile.

    I always say that I want to have the best parts of me saved at the end of the day for T and not what’s left of me after a harried day. But the reality is that it often doesn’t work out that way.

    I like fall weather but I do find the seasonal change very hard. The third September of the month has been designated as International Loneliness Awareness Week, as I recently learned, to help combat social isolation as it’s when statistically people are prone to seasonal change affects and also, trigger warning, suicide.

    And on that cheerful note, off to bed I go! Have a good week ahead to you all.

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  24. “As September begins, we feel the summer’s intensity wane in the Northern Hemisphere. While I cherish summer, there’s a point where the expectations for endless outdoor fun with my family become overwhelming.”

    This is so true!!!! I’m excited to bring out the sweaters and feel good meals.

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