“If she is not in this hospital, precisely which hospital would you suggest I search next?”
Emphasis on the word “precisely.” Edgy! My entitled, slightly sarcastic evil twin was pushing her way to the forefront of the conversation. I had already visited two buildings on the gargantuan hospital complex. In my effort to find a sick friend, I had walked one-half mile from my parked car.
I was now being sent somewhere else. Again.
Worse still, I was wearing my very high heeled 50 minute boots. They were well past their wearability shelf life. It occurred to me I am only adorable when my shoes are not! When my feet hurt, I get snarky. At that moment, had I been wearing a pin that said, “Ask me how to become a Christian!” I would have hidden it. Bad attitude. Bad advertising.
When I find myself exhibiting behavior that is less than the kind, patient, godly woman I aspire to be, I often jokingly blame the behavior on my “Evil Twin”. A joke? Or a way to deflect attention away from my call to be a light in a dark world. Not to spread more darkness.
Goodness knows, it’s not MY fault. It’s HER.
The “Evil Twin” phrase is a literary device that has been used from the days of Beowulf to portray the moralities of protagonist and antagonist. (Not to be confused with the trashy lyrics of the Eminem song by the same title.)
Busy business women who are managing a job and a household are regularly tapped out of energy, of patience, and often of common courtesy. We can hold it together at work but then come home and growl at our family. Or we use up all our patience at home and get gnarly and critical with our coworkers. There are even days when we are pretty miserable to be around in both places.
What’s a Busy Business woman to do?
- Realize your energy is finite. You cannot expend more than 100% no matter how hard you try. One job or the other will suffer. Fatigue fuels your evil twin.
- Start your day with a moment of quiet. Breathe. Breathe again. Ask God to order your day. (At this point it is best to listen and determine to obey. We often forget this step.)
- Get a mental image of how your day is going to develop and pace yourself. If you have a school conference tonight, make supper fast and easy. If you have a report due at work, cancel your lunch date. Sorry — but you really can’t do it all.
- Ask for help. An older teen can run an errand. The husband can start supper. A coworker can take the mail to the Post Office.
We have been told by people more noble than ourselves (Paul writing to the Romans) that we are prone to do the things we don’t want to do — and not do the things we want to do. So always, always, walk softly with yourself. Your evil twin is not you. Don’t feed her. Don’t listen to her. Take the high road.
God knows we have a heart that resembles a tar pit on a hot day. That’s our messy core nature. Your evil twin lives there. BUT … at the core of the core is the flaming Image of God — burning fiercely through the sticky mess. Take heart.
At the hospital I finally found my friend. She was well. Hobbling back to my car, I booted my twin to the curb.
Dive into more of Carolyn’s helpful and encouraging wisdom, The One Thing Busy Women Desperately Need and Can’t Make Happen.
Carolyn Dunn coaches busy women who are time starved, disorganized and distracted balance a productive work life with a peaceful and nurturing home life. Instead of struggling with overwhelm, procrastination and time management issues they can learn to say “goodbye” to chaos, and “hello” to sanity. Carolyn has a strong Christian background and a Fuller Seminary Masters degree in theological studies as well as marriage and family ministries. She is actively involved in planning large conferences as well as small retreats, and has been the speaker at many seminars and workshops.
To learn more about the author please visit Carolyn Dunn Coaching
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