Speaker talks about life roles to South group
by Amber Foreman, reporter

     Balancing ones roles in life was the topic of a South Campus seminar, sponsored by Women in New Roles (WIN-R), last week.
     When roles are out of balance, people tend to take on roles that make themselves look good, Lonzetta Smith-Allen, South Campus counselor, said.
     Then once they are in the role, they find out that that’s not what they want.
“No, is a good answer,” she said.
     Although responsibilities cannot be neglected, at some point in time, a line must be drawn.
     “Change is tough,” Smith-Allen said, “We spend too much time in what used to be.”
     If roles are not balanced, people may inadvertently abuse themselves and allow others to abuse them, starting a never-ending cycle.
     The group laughed when Smith-Allen described how a person must decide who they are and how much attention each role gets in order to stay sane.
     To illustrate her point, she poured water from a pitcher into different smaller cups. Each cup emphasized roles that need a specific amount of time and energy to avoid overflowing.
      “We get off balance because we give too much to one role,” she said.
Since one role should not overshadow the other, Smith-Allen listed four steps one should take to balance life roles.
     “First of all, do not let things be determined for you. Secondly, do not let the role determine who you are. Next, make sure that you identify the role before you agree to take it. Last of all, prioritize the roles,” she stressed to those in attendance.
     Understanding what is important and then making it a priority is a key in merging roles.
     Roles must be clarified. Other people need to know the roles that have been taken on, and careers must be chosen carefully.
     “Success is determined by what you say it is—what you want,” Smith-Allen said.
     Smith-Allen reminded the audience to reward themselves and to thank people.
     “A strong foundation is required to properly act out roles of life,” she said.
     WIN-R, which is a unique credit program designed to assist women in the transition of returning to school, sponsors the community seminars that are open to the public.
     For more information on future seminars on the WIN-R program, contact Triesha Light at 817-515-4740 or visit the web site www.tccd.net/win-r.