Ever had someone tell you they miss you—while you're sitting right next to them?
It happened to me. And it wrecked me.
We had just taken in my husband’s nephews. I thought I was doing it all. Tucking them in. Sitting on the porch with them. Running a business. Living what I thought was balanced.
Then one day, our 10-year-old nephew looked at me and said, “I wish you never opened the company.”
It stopped me cold.
I asked why. His answer? “Because I don’t get to see you.”
I was there. But I wasn’t really there. And that’s the problem. We confuse physical presence with emotional presence. And we call that “balance.” But it’s not.
Truth Bomb:
Balance isn’t about slicing your day into equal pieces. It’s about being fully in—wherever you are.
When I’m at work, I go all in.
When I’m home, I unplug.
When I rest, I rest without guilt.
Action:
If you want to know how balanced you really are—ask the people around you. The ones you love. Your team. Your kids. Your spouse. Ask if they feel seen, heard, and held by your presence.
Then ask yourself:
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Am I scheduling my rest like I do my meetings?
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Do my boundaries have teeth, or do I override them?
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Am I chasing evenness… or intentionality?
Final Word:
You don’t need more hours. You need ownership. You need presence. You need boundaries.
Because burnout isn’t heroic. It’s ineffective.
And your people—at work and at home—deserve the best of you, not just what’s left of you.