Thursday, September 12, 2019

The Tight Rope

“A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” (William Arthur Ward)

Maintaining a healthy life balance is essential for happiness and well-being. A well-balanced person has a greater ability to focus their energy on attaining their goals in life as they move forward in a meaningful way. The big question is: What would a balanced life look like? How do you go about achieving it in the midst of your crazy schedules?  There are steps you can take to change what isn’t working, and get back some control and balance in your life. The key is not to try to change everything at once, but to make small adjustments over time to determine what works for you.

Eventually you will have a whole new set of positive life habits. Whether you work, go to school, or are retired we all have responsibilities. There is always someone, or something, to answer to. The challenge is to balance what we must do with what we enjoy and choose to do. This is not always easy. Many of us have a time in our lives when we just feel out of rhythm. The crucial question is: What are we going to do about it? How can anyone be a great person when they are unbalanced in their own life? No one wins when this happens. Below are areas of your life that finding balance in is crucial.

Health-Whether you are a go-getter at work, it's easy to let things like exercise and diet go by astray when things get busy in the office. This is the only body you're going to get, and it needs to carry you until the end of your life. That's why it's critical to continue to keep your body strong and healthy enough to enable you to do the things that energize you. The key here is to be fit enough that you don't have to say "no" to anything you want to do. Give yourself a health score. Could you do more to improve that number as a way to begin leading the kind of balanced life you is seeking?


 

Family-How balanced do you feel with your family time? What's your relationship like with your family? These connections are the closest relationships you should have in your life no matter how busy things get. If you give yourself a low score here, it's worth hitting the pause button to make the investment in repairing these relationships. Family members are part of your support network, and you'll never miss them more than when their gone.


 

Social-Do you have a robust network of friends or not? Do you have a group of friends like you hang out with regularly? If not, it's time to start building these kinds of relationships. Having people around you that you like and trust is one of the best indicators of living a long life. If you are sacrificing relationships like these, you're clearly not in balance.

 

Financial-What does your personal financial balance sheet look like? Are you on a path to accumulate enough wealth that you will be able to enjoy a comfortable retirement? Are your assets increasing over time-or have you neglected to make the time to tend your financial garden? The key to personal financial health is to feel in control and know that you have enough money to have options. If you're working too much, and you don't have the money you need, something is clearly missing in the equation.


 

Business-Whether you are running your own business or climbing the corporate ladder, ask yourself how thrilled you are to go into work every day. Are you excited to be making a difference and making progress-or do you dread the monotony of your day-to-day drag? If you own the business, how are things going: Are revenues and profits growing? Some of us who are high achievers might never give ourselves a 10 here no matter what. It's worth measuring how all that time you are investing in your work is paying off.


 Civic-How much time are you able to invest in the things you care about in your community? That can mean anything from volunteering to coaching a sports team-anything that inspires you when you give of yourself. Think of it as your attitude of gratitude. If you haven't made enough time to give back, you're missing out on a real emotional payback because you are rewarded by the act of giving. Time and talent are the real gifts.


 

Spiritual-The final aspect of living a balanced life is your spiritual side. This could be anything from taking a walk to making a trip to church on Sunday. Whatever fills up your spiritual cup. This is how you renew yourself when you're down. It's something that can be easily neglected. If you score low here, make the time to rethink your connection to God. You'll feel refreshed and ready to tackle the world.


 

“Understand that building self-confidence is all about striking a balance in your life. The right amount of confidence can help a great deal in achieving what you want.” (Angel Graff)[i]



[i] Sources used:

·        “10 Simple Ways to Find Balance and Get Your Life Back” by Royale Scuderi

·        “5 Tips for Living a Well Balanced Life” By Z. Hereford

·        “7 Secrets of Successful People to Living a Balanced Life” by Jim Schleckser

 
 

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