When speaking with our Head of School, Mr. Sikes, about a feeling of overwhelmingness when it came to my load for that week, he simply smiles and answers “Quality over Quantity”. These words seem so simple, yet they hold so much. I usually feel the anxiety come off of my shoulders and back immediately when I hear that I am supposed to follow them. However, before I know it, I’m back into the overwhelming feelings of balancing work, family, and life in general.
As the holidays approach, I fear that the feeling of anxiety will not dissipate and I’ll be left as a frazzled mother trying to do her best in the midst of children excited that school is out and that holiday festivities are near. I try to remind myself regularly of this “Quality over Quantity”. What does this mean for me? What does it mean for any of us? As I was planning this blog on the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I looked up bible verses that brought peace, and I came across Matthew 6:25-34.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
“Do not worry about your life!” How is it that I have not been following this simple advice my entire life? The Lord our God provides everything that we need to be able to live in his name. This wonderful verse goes on further by saying “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” That’s where it hit me, can I add more time to my life? The answer is simple. No. No amount of working harder, no amount of stressing over work load, no amount of working longer hours is going to add any additional time to my life. “Quality over Quantity” rings in my ears again.
There are enough hours in our days to do the important things. Work is definitely up there, but when the work hour is done, it’s time for family, it’s time for fun, and it’s time for rest. “Quality over Quantity”, do your best during those work hours, spend good quality time on the tasks at hand, doting on them and doing less multitasking……less quantity. Less stressing over the little things, less time stressing over that big pile of work, more time working on a committed task to get it done well. There will always be work, and it will sit there and wait patiently for you to return and tackle it meaningfully.
As the holiday season is approaching fast, this year try to put into practice “Quality over Quantity”. Spend more time with your family and friends, take some time off to share recreational activities with them, enjoy the sabbath, pray, and enjoy peace as it is certain to be found. Keep things simple. Enjoy quality time with the ones that you love. Set the tone for the rest of the family and I assure you, they will all fall into place. As November approaches and we look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope you keep Mr. Sikes advice of “Quality over Quantity”. May your holiday season be filled with many blessings and peace.
Anna Magallanes