Do you want to achieve Balance in your life?
I do! (Raising all five fingers).
I want Balance almost every day.
When I wake up and plan my day, my intention is to get my priorities in the right order. Some days are easier than others.
The truth is, Balance goes beyond the day-to-day juggling of priorities. It’s also a quality of life that we crave.
We envision a life that we live by choice, not by default. We do not want to be at the mercy of our circumstances, being pulled in many chaotic directions. We want a life where our daily actions support the bigger picture of what matters for now and for eternity.
However, Balance for many of us feels like a “shifting shadow”. The closer we get to it, the further it seems to reach.
Perhaps it is a good idea to rethink our concept of Balance.
Is Balance really about a middle point where things are held in a fragile “equilibrium?” Is it a point in time where we achieve “balance” in a blink of an eye and then, it’s off and gone again?
The first idea to let go of regarding Balance as “everything having equal time and attention.”
Whew! Can you feel the weight lighten a bit?
How about re-imagining Balance as a “conscious permission” to give my time and attention to the priority that needs me the most at any given moment, then shifting timeously to the next?
The key here is the “movement” in the concept of being in “balance”. Balance should be like a rotating wheel, not a status or station.
Life is dynamic, and constantly moving. That means that for us to cultivate consistent Balance, we must be willing to experience Balance as a moving, turning, rolling, changing, revolving, spinning concept.
Visually-speaking, Balance may look a “moving wheel” on a bumpy ride down some rocky road, or a slow, scenic drive on a beautiful road in nature.
Balance means that sometimes you will slow down, and sometimes you will speed up. It means having the skill to function amidst complexity, and also the ability to accept simplicity and stillness.
If you hold on to a rigid idea that in order for you to experience Balance, your life has to be a certain way, you will be hugely setting up yourself for disappointment or failure.
So, the first step to knowing that you can live a Balanced Life is by recognizing your power to choose – Choice.
As a mom, I’m learning to refine my concept of Balance in a whole new way that makes sense to me. What does Balance look like when I have had little-to-no sleep the night before, or those times that I cannot seem to get anything done professionally? Or when I’m watching my toddler play? Or when I am away from home on a business trip?
I remind myself to regularly adjust my concept of Balance with my changing priorities.
Once we learn to grant “power of choice” to what matters the most at any given point in time, then we will realize how possible it is to be in “balance” more consistently in our lives.
Rigidity in our mental picture of what Balance should be amidst the changing complexities of our life will constantly make us feel like our life is out of control.
Things may change and throw us off, but the big difference is in how quickly we adjust our mental picture at that moment so that we can bring ourselves back into a place of clarity and choice.
We do this by reminding ourselves that we are not victims. We have the power of choice.
We exercise this choice by reminding ourselves that we are consciously choosing our current experience of life, therefore we can also choose how we want to be in any given moment.
So if you are currently feeling like your life is out of control and you are hating the rollercoaster ride, take a step back and ask yourself:
“Did I choose this?” Or “Am I in this experience against my will?”
If you chose it, then do some mindset work to adjust your feelings so that you can make the best of the rollercoaster ride while it lasts.
However, if you didn’t choose the rollercoaster and you are on it because someone got you there, then perhaps you may want to honestly take your power back and start using your God-given gift of choice.
Ask yourself: What and where would I rather be right now, other than on this roller-coaster ride?
If the situation is something you have no control over, then remember this: you are either choosing to “walk on water” (powerful mindset shift) or you are choosing to “kick and scream” your way through the challenge. You see how it still comes back to “choice?”
You are not the mercy of your circumstances.
Choosing a life of Balance is a very powerful and “alive” way to live. It’s about fully becoming aware of how you want to be in any given moment in life.
What are you “choosing” today?
Written by Grace Samson-Song
Grace has been curious about transitions from a very young age. She currently consults and assists people to get unstuck in the areas of life purpose and calling, career choices and personal development. She is the founder of The Maximize group and the Author of Crossing Intersections.
