Don't put all your eggs in one basket

It's a common saying, and one with good meaning. But I wonder if it's one of those things that you only learn via experience?It must be, as I see so many people putting their eggs in one basket. Relying on one central thing in their life from which to draw their happiness. Whether it's a relationship, a job, a best friend, work.I've been thinking lately about this and also what the phrase 'well rounded' means. I think they go hand in hand.I want to be a well rounded person. There are multiple pieces to the puzzle of me. And I think that is the way it should be.My relationship is one piece. My children another. Then there are my friends. My writing. My work. Health and fitness. All things that are important to me.There is the emotional me. The professional me. The creative me. The fun me (I swear she's in there somewhere). The me who has desires, dreams, goals, and visions. The introverted me. The bookworm me. The serious introspective self-improvement junkie me.All these things. All these "me's". I know if one were taken away, I wouldn't fall to pieces. (Let's just take children out of the scenario right now - that's a whole different ball game).I would be able to draw on other aspects of my life to readjust, reconfigure, reset. Sure it may be difficult, I'm not underestimating that in the slightest. My point is, that my life does not revolve around just one thing, or just one person. It's well rounded. I think that should be our goal.Okay. So you're thinking that's all well and good. Sounds good in theory type thing. But it's not only a theory. I've learned this through experience. I've been intentional about building my life this way thanks to past experience.I was once that person who put her eggs in the one basket. The relationship basket. I was young, naive, and had no idea who I was. No idea what life was. What life meant. All the fairy tales and happily-ever-after stories told me that's what you do. You build a life around love. You judge your worth by a relationship.I don't talk about it often, but when I left my first husband, I didn't just leave him, I left my life. My family was his family. My friends were his friends. My hobbies revolved around his hobbies. My life was his life. The only thing I had, was my employment, which, was my lifesaver, in so many ways (ways that I didn't realise until later).So I've been there done that, so to speak. And it was hard to walk away. But it taught me the most important lesson I've ever learned - to not put my eggs in one basket. To be my own person. To listen to me. To find me. To trust me. To be well rounded.Why this blog post? As I said, it's something that's been on my mind. I'm not sure why. I think maybe it's the seed of an idea for a story. Not original I know. But I think the voice in my head is strong and unique enough to guide me somewhere that may actually work.I don't have the time to start a new story just yet, so I'm documenting it here to plant the seed. And maybe I'll come back and water it soon. 

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase 'Don't put your eggs in one basket?' 

Linking with Kylie Purtell for IBOT