| Is it possible to live a balanced life? | | | | certain activities and at other times, you may need |
| Living a balanced life may conjure up images of | | | | to shy away from these same commitments. This is |
| balanced scales, being a "superhuman", feeling | | | | natural and not flaky. It is only flaky when you first |
| even-keeled and in control. We perceive it to mean | | | | commit and then drop out. Avoid this by simplifying |
| symmetrical, composed, stable and poised. | | | | and saying yes to what matters and is important. |
| The collective belief is that if you equally attend to all | | | | Balance arrives when you are fully present within |
| facets of your life, and if you maintain your | | | | your commitments and give yourself permission to |
| composure while doing so, you will find the nirvana of | | | | choose. |
| balance within your life. This is a great myth, yet a | | | | Emotions - Experience the breadth and depth of your |
| perceived road map to many for finding balance. | | | | emotions. When you avoid your deeper, tougher |
| FYI - Your life is not meant to be one static pie chart | | | | emotions, which could be anger for some and love |
| you control! | | | | for others, you cause an unhealthy internal imbalance. |
| When you learned to ride a bike, roller skate or turn | | | | You grow your psychological balance through |
| a cartwheel, everyone probably remembers the | | | | expressing and understanding the nature of your |
| more you fought your body's natural sense of | | | | moods and feelings, not by remaining placid. You get |
| balance or had thoughts of falling, your struggle to | | | | to learn about your inner strengths and human nature |
| succeed was harder. In fact, you discovered when | | | | when you own and accept who you are regardless if |
| you worried less, trusted in the uncertainty more and | | | | you feel fearful or happy. Quit judging your emotions. |
| enjoyed moving through space, your balance became | | | | Emotion is a channel of energy that allows you to |
| effortless. Balance within in your life works very | | | | learn about your world. It is true that the levels of |
| much the same way. | | | | great joy one feels in life are proportionate to the |
| The process of balance involves an ever-evolving | | | | depths of hardship ones also experiences. Understand |
| dynamic. This fluid ingredient of life, known as | | | | that emotion is energy in motion and energy must |
| balance, becomes increasingly present when it builds | | | | continually flow to be balanced. Experience, express, |
| up a momentum and is allowed to have its own ebb | | | | but do not hold on. |
| and flow without your control! Living a balanced life is | | | | Flexibility - Understand that balance is an |
| found in being perfectly imbalanced and stepping | | | | ever-evolving dynamic. It involves movement and the |
| outside of yourself many times. If this sounds like a | | | | inevitability of change. New events occurring within |
| contradiction, it really is not. In order to experience | | | | your life, such as a move, divorce or new job, can |
| balance within your life, you must, ultimately, alter | | | | leave you feeling anxious, stressed-out and |
| your definition of balance. Not unlike how nature | | | | overwhelmed. These feelings worsen when you |
| recovers the pertinent balance of minerals in her soil | | | | resist the change these events bring into your life in |
| through what many view as destructive forest fires, | | | | the present. By clinging to what was, you loose focus |
| you need to understand that balance can come from | | | | and are further removed from your internal locus of |
| being thrown off balance, no matter how distressing | | | | balance. Instead, experience your emotions, listen to |
| things appears. You come to know your own sense | | | | them and implement their teachings. Balance is found |
| of balance by living the breadth and depth of life and | | | | in being flexible to what and where life leads you in |
| by not avoiding it. | | | | the present moment and by not clinging to or |
| Here are suggestions for reframing and reclaiming a | | | | controlling it. Often, balance arrives by being thrown |
| sense of balance with your life: | | | | off balance! |
| Prioritize - Organize and focus on what really matters. | | | | Is it possible to live a balanced life? Yes you can, |
| This means establishing priorities for what you need | | | | when you understand that balance is not a static |
| to do and want to do daily. All in that order. There | | | | state where you will arrive some day. Instead, |
| are daily events that must be attended to, such as | | | | balance is found in the process of making the daily |
| going to work, shopping for groceries and feeding | | | | choices that keep you focused on what is important |
| the family. Then there are the events that you want | | | | within your life. It teaches you to learn about balance |
| to do, such as pursuing your hobby, answering emails | | | | by knowing what it feels like to be imbalanced. It is |
| and taking that relaxing bath. It is a myth that you | | | | through the path of imbalance that you come to |
| must spend the exact amount of time on every item | | | | know the fine art of finding balance within your life. It |
| in your life's pie chart. In fact, attempting to do | | | | is this path that becomes an opportunity to |
| everything equally can establish patterns of | | | | rediscover your life in a seemingly balanced, yet |
| mediocrity instead of opening you to extraordinary | | | | perfectly imbalanced way. |
| feats and accomplishments when you focus. Your | | | | Have a well-being question you would like to have |
| balance is found in attending to the parts of your life, | | | | answered? You can write Karen at for answers. |
| but not always focusing in equal increments. So go | | | | For more information about Gifts of the Goddess - |
| ahead and put time into exploring your creative whim. | | | | All-Natural Body & Skin Care, visit: |
| Simplify - Learn to not over commit. You can say no | | | | Copyright (c) 2005 Karen A. Dahlman. All rights |
| to extra activities and say yes to your priorities. | | | | reserved. |
| Sometimes you may want to be extra-involved in | | | | |