I am a very routine-oriented person, and always have been. Without my
google-calendar, I think I'd be an absolute mess. I like feeling slightly (okay, heavily) in control of my schedule and day. This may come off to some as me having it all together, but that is not true. I've rather learned that I am a better friend, co-worker, and individual when my life is planned out.
Every morning and night, I go through the same routine to either prepare for the day ahead or wind-down from the day had. This way of life is helpful when creating or quitting habits as I know that within a few days, it will all feel normal to me. However, sometimes I get out of routine and I find it very hard to return to that routine. I know it is possible, but depending on the situation, I can feel discouraged and I know that I am not alone in feeling this way. So, hopefully the following words might help those that also struggle with this.
Life is not supposed to be the same every day. Life does not go as planned, and I am not in control of what lies ahead. As what lies ahead, is more beautiful than I can imagine.
I think it's a beautiful way of thinking that I have yet to meet some of the most influential people in my life. I am surround by incredible friends and family, so to think that there will be even more people who will come into my life and impact it in ways beyond belief is so beautiful to me and honestly, mind-boggling. I believe that as an extrovert, when I think of my routine getting off balance, I think of the way new people entering it will impact that. Every day is a new opportunity to meet someone new. And when I meet someone new, my routine shifts and adapts to what is ahead. It will never be the same as it was before that person entered my life.
It is so exciting to create friendships and form relationships with the people around me. I am given experiences in this life that are uniquely mine, however, I am also given words to relate to the experiences those around me have had. When I meet someone who can relate to my life, I allow my routines to change without knowledge of the adjustments being made. I begin to add someone new to my weekly trivia nights with friends, my calendar shifts. I no longer can remain in the same routine, as my life is not what it was before.
I truthfully believe, that it is rare for someone to remain a stranger to me. After I meet someone, the excitement takes over, and they become a part of my life. I love keeping up with the lives of those around me. I have seen as this routine of friendship has adapted since graduating college. I may not be spending every night at my best friend's house, but rather ensuring that I am FaceTiming her multiple times a week to make up for the routine that once was. And this has been hard to get used to, but as the year has passed, it is our new routine. I think this is where I struggle most with my extroverted-ness.
Meeting people is very exciting to me, but the change of routine remains, and I'm still learning to accept that. As more people enter my life, people will continue to leave it as well. Not necessarily in a dark sense, but life will continue to go on for those around me. Friends will relocate to new cities and states. Jobs will take up more of someone's time. And time becomes my enemy as it works against me in my attempt to maintain the routine around me. But as this routine shifts each day, the excitement and beauty of what lies ahead is still present.
I guess what I'm realizing as I've written this all out is that my life is not much of a routine at all. I am changing and growing each day from the influence the people around me have, and that can be an incredible thing. Some people enter my life to remain next to me for the rest of it, and some people enter it for seasons. But every person I have encountered has influenced the woman I am today in some way. It all comes down to how I allow those people to influence my life.
All this to say that regardless of how much a routine helps me feel balanced, there are many contributions to my life that I am not in control of, but I can control how those factors shape me. And mark my words, I will try my darndest to allow every experience to shape me into a stronger, bolder, and more loving individual.
sincerely,
mally grace :)