Julia Writes

Confessions of a shy person:

This morning at the gym, I had an epiphany.💡

After my spin class, I was walking down the hallway near another woman who was in the class. I wanted to lament with her how challenging class was today. I wanted to ask her for advice because she’s more advanced at spin than I am. Instead, I remained silent. Why? Because I was afraid. Afraid of… rejection, I suppose. What if she blew me off, or was annoyed that I, amateur cycler that I am, would dare speak to her? What if she thought my questions and observations were lame, and then dreaded seeing me at spin class every week?

Welcome to the exhausting inner dialogue of an introvert. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Later while on the walking track, an older couple was walking ahead of me, at a slower pace than me, so I quietly passed them. No big deal. But immediately after, I thought, why didn’t I acknowledge them? Just a “hello” and a smile? This time, I failed to do that not out of fear but because it didn’t even dawn on me to acknowledge them until after the fact. I’m so used to being wrapped up in my own world that it doesn’t always occur to me to simply say hello to the people around me.

So at that moment, right there on that walking track, I decided to make a New Year’s resolution—even though it’s September 14—to TALK to people. Whether it’s a simple nod and smile, or saying hello, or actually striking up a conversation when I feel that nudge. I need to just do it. Some of you may think such a resolution is absurd because you already do these things. But to many of us, small talk with strangers is a terrifying thing. I don’t know why, it’s just the way God made us, okay?

But I’m determined to rise above my silly fears if it means brightening someone’s day, being a smiling face at a time when we all could use some joy, and possibly even making a friend or two along the way. 💛

"The perfect work/life balance is elusive because real life is messy. The demands of both work and home constantly compete for our attention, and it’s a juggling act to figure out how to make it all work."

Sound familiar? Here's my latest for Juniper Row Wellness.

How to Manage a Healthy Work/Life Balance | Juniper Row Wellness You’re at work and you get a call from the school nurse saying your child is sick. You’re having dinner with friends and get a text from your boss asking you to ‘take a quick look’ at something he emailed you. Both of these scenarios are fraught with tension, because in each case, the realms...