I've always struggled with work/life balance. In fact, I think for some personality types-work-life balance is a constant struggle. But I think a struggle for me not in the sense that I refuse to take a break but rather I so enjoy what I do on the day to day and this feeling in my heart that I am doing what I need to do/doing the work I always dreamed of, that work stops feeling like work and there becomes this blurred line between breaks and work-which I admit-is sometimes a bit of a problem. And I happened to contemplate this topic today as I attended a department picnic with my husband and in the midst of all of these busy individuals, you really begin to see life and the importance of everyday picnics as you see families swinging, laughing, talking and eating with one another. 

And up until this point, I always thought the organization of the picnic basket was really where you begin to find your balance. How you arrange your items either allows or does not allow for a break. If you have all the sandwiches in their proper containers, napkins, a beverage and so forth, you have more time to take a break and worry not about the assembly of the break, but the break itself. But then I think that if you are eating that picnic around the work you are doing-it really isn't a picnic at all and then you are back to ground zero just as you started. 

There is nothing wrong with working hard, but life is precious and it demands a picnic. A picnic is a meal that involves talking and contemplation and time with family and just time. It's a slow word-you cannot speed it up. I do think the more time you spend on small picnics, the more times you have time to reflect upon your fulfillment and your life path and fulfillment-cannot be rushed. 

And when you pack up that basket-make sure that you pack only what you need and not what you think you need. When you pack that basket, make sure that you leave behind what you do on the day to day and pack it with air and freedom and new thoughts and clear heads and bottles of unthought thoughts. Leave room. Because a good picnic is light not heavy. It's like packing up air, leaving the rest behind and then watching that air turn into new thoughts. It's only temporary. Then  you can go back to the day to day. But work isn't so hard to leave. It's a mindset and it should be done tastefully.