work-wonder balance
i’m not one for work-life balance. never have been. too californian, too soft.
all the same i found myself experiencing some kind of work-related imbalance. didn’t know what to call it. i felt taxed, stretched, stressed.
too much work i thought? no, that can’t be it. my workload isn’t reaching historical highs. maybe i’m getting old. well yeah, but don’t think that’s it…
under stress it can be difficult to identify the stressor.
the phrase popped into my head before the meaning did: work-wonder balance. like, the balance between executing things and thinking about things. not just everyday thinking but deep, weird, wild thinking.
work couldn’t offer me wonder so i had to find it. had to make the time for it. had to remember how to do it.
wondering can look like anything. it’s not just Being Creative. it can be investigative or daydreamy. sharp or soft. it’s nebulous but it’s easy to self-verify.
in fact: the shape wonder takes is whatever self requires in the moment.