The alarm goes off at 5:45am. Hop in the shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, off to work. Work all day. Get off, drive home, grab a bite to eat, grab school books, off to class. Class all night. Back in the car, drive home, do some homework. Fall into bed at midnight. Somehow, this schedule doesn’t seem like it leaves room for life, but it is the existence that so many of us know. We wear multiple hats, students, employees, friends, daughters, mothers, leaders, girlfriends, roommates, I often wonder how we pull it off. I guess we are just fabulous.

I’m Monica! I am a grad student at CSULA, studying history. I am also an employee of LAUSD, working with special needs children in East LA. I am a daughter to Jackie. I am a leader in church ministry. I am a roommate to Carey. I am a friend to many. I wear all the hats too. I spent four years in undergrad attempting to keep my sanity while performing the great Balancing Act. As I’ve grown a little older and a little wiser (and with much advice from loved ones) I have learned some key skills and priorities in being much more balanced in my life. That is what this blog is for, to pass on the knowledge and help someone else keep it together (and of course to tell the stories of when it falls apart sometimes)!

I was recently having a conversation with a friend about super heroes (this relates, I promise). I decidedly declared that if I could have any super power it would be the ability to freeze time. Why? You might ask? My logic was this … if I could freeze time, I would have endless hours in the day. I could freeze time and sleep when I was tired and eat when I was hungry. This would provide me with extended time to do school work. It eliminates the time consumed by our basic necessities. In hindsight, this is a little sad. Rest is a part of balance, and we should enjoy food and sleep, but that is a topic for another blog. But I think this story exemplifies where so many of us are at. We are busy and tired and wishing with all our strength for just a few more hours in the day. I am firmly convinced that though it is rough, and I mean rough, to handle all the pressures and duties we face, we are fully capable to function in a healthy, balanced way. There are ways to be balanced. And while it is hard, frustrating, exhausting, annoying, and seemingly endless, know that you are not the only one out there who is performing the Balancing Act.