I’m in search of BALANCE in my life….and if I were a gambler, I’d bet I’m not the only one!
I have a very specific flaw that has made my quest for balance a huge challenge. I’ve been described as an ‘all or nothing’ kind of person. When I do something, I give it 110% , or I don’t do it at all. Giving that level of commitment to something can be very rewarding. However, when I immerse myself into one or two aspects of my life, it’s usually to the detriment of the other areas in my life.
Thankfully, I’m a work in progress and this is an area where I’m striving to make significant change. My goal is to live with awesomeness in every aspect of my life, not just one or two areas at a time.
BALANCE
– a state of equilibrium, to be equal or equivalent
– a harmonious or satisfying arrangement of parts, as in a design
– an even distribution of weight, enabling someone (or something) to remain upright and steady
I have many different pictures in my head when I think of balance.
I see someone holding a yoga pose with strength, grace and ease.
I see a gymnast effortlessly performing intricate footwork
and powerful tumbling on a 4 inch wooden beam.
I see African women stoically navigating uneven ground
while carrying heavy jugs of water on their heads.
Unfortunately, these visions of balance couldn’t be any further from the reality of what my life looks like.
A more accurate visual representation of my life would be that of a plate spinner.
The feat of keeping all the plates in perpetual motion is awesome to see. But if you watch the plate spinner himself, instead of the plates, you’ll notice he is frantic, agitated and unsettled. His body moves non-stop while his mind focuses with laser precision on whichever plate is losing speed and in need of his urgent attention. His role is unforgiving. If he fails, and lets a plate come crashing to the floor, he doesn’t fulfill his goal of being an accomplished plate spinner. Yet when he is successful, he sacrifices internal peace, harmony and balance for accomplishment.
Wow, that is NOT a pretty picture! But unfortunately it’s how many of us live. This leaves me wondering if it’s realistic to even strive for a balanced life? Is it possible to distribute ourselves evenly throughout the multiple segments of our lives? And if it is possible, can we maintain the balance consistently throughout our life? A yoga student may only hold a pose for a few minutes at most. The balance beam routine lasts less than 5 minutes for the gymnast. Even the plate spinner doesn’t keep all his plates spinning indefinitely.
Hhhmmmm…..this is a perfect place to pause.
I think we should take a few days to ponder the concept of balance in our life. Is it possible to live a balanced life? What does a balanced life look like? How do we create balance in our life? What prevents us from living a balanced life?
Talk to me – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Stay tuned for my next post on Wednesday, when we will continue to explore the quandary of living a balanced life.
with Joy & Gratitude,
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