06/10/2026
Siyo - Eli here.
There are days when I think I would be perfectly content if my only job was Longshadows Ranch.
Growing food. Tending animals. Planting trees. Harvesting crops. Preserving what we grow. Restoring a little piece of land and helping it become healthier each year.
But I am not retired, and my work extends beyond the ranch. There are patients to help, classes to teach, meetings to attend, emails to answer, projects to move forward, and a virtual world that demands many hours of my day.
Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that exists in both worlds.
Over the years I have learned that when something is creating stress in my body, mind, or spirit, it is usually a signal that something needs attention. Sometimes the change that is needed is internal—a shift in perspective, expectations, or priorities. Sometimes the change has to happen in the external world through schedules, systems, boundaries, or commitments.
Lately I have been experimenting with my schedule again. Some ideas worked. Some did not. But I think I may have found a combination that works, at least through October.
For me, it starts with getting up at 5:00 a.m.
Those quiet morning hours are where I find balance.
I stretch. Practice a little tai chi. Take a few deep breaths. Spend time thinking about everything I am grateful for. Put on coffee. Start a new batch of kefir. Take a few swigs before setting the rest aside for the other humans and animals.
Then I step onto the back porch and watch the sky slowly brighten as our little corner of the world welcomes the sun.
The cats get fed.
The greenhouse gets watered.
I check the gardens near the house.
I walk through the ranch, seeing what projects my newest helper will be tackling. I visit the big garden, check on the plants, harvest what is ready, pull a few weeds, and water where needed.
Then I head back inside and spend a few minutes with family. We talk about dreams from the night before, plans for the day, who needs a vehicle, who is driving by a store, and what supplies need to be picked up.
By then the ranch is awake.
People are feeding animals, finishing projects, discovering something interesting, hosting tours, teaching classes, and keeping this place moving forward.
And then I sit down and enter the virtual world.
Most evenings, somehow, we all find our way back around the dinner table again.
I have discovered something important about myself: if I don't have those first few hours, the day never feels balanced.
Those quiet moments at sunrise are not extra. They are not a luxury.
They are the foundation that allows me to do everything else.
The work matters.
But starting the day connected to the things that matter is what helps me keep my balance.
