There’s a running tally of blog post ideas in the notes section of my iphone. I find weird inspiration all over the place and I never trust myself to remember any of it because as time passes I become more easily distracted by anything and everything. Age - yes, is a factor - as is children, work, and all the intentions of balancing the demands of daily life. Not to be a spoiler but some of my future blog topics might include: The importance of boredom, Being meaningful rather than being more, The multi-tasking trap, and the sad old topic of Balancing (always, always, always on the balancing).
Balance… What does it mean NOW? Does that mean we spend equal parts each day on the things that are most important to us? Does that mean we spend equal parts each day on the things that SHOULD BE most important to us? Is it a way to keep us sane or a way to keep us good? Is the term Balance the en vogue quintessential devil and angel on our shoulder?
Maybe it’s the expectation of the day (Valentine’s) or the weather (crap rain) or the fact that balance is something so far in my distant memory that I’ve forgotten how to embrace it… Whatever it is I sometimes feel a bit miffed by the concept of it. Is balance a feeling? Is balance a state of mind? A way of being? An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady?
I know how important balance is and I feel that just as other terms (authenticity, presence, being) have become so over-used in our vernacular, our little friend balance has lost some of her true purpose. So here goes…
Balance to me means being able to say no to the shit that takes you away from the important things in your life. Balance is working hard while maintaining connection to what makes you feel alive in the world. Balance can feel like a push/pull until you find that sweet spot in the middle but I think of it as a continuum that we are all striving for so the push and pull are part of the journey.
Balance changes over time just as we as humans change in our relationships and in our stages of life. What I am balancing today is different from what I was balancing ten years ago, twenty years ago and so the definition continues to change. I think that balance for me is keeping up with what is truly important in my world - not holding tight to some dogma that I created for myself too many moons ago - but rather being okay with the ebb and flow of life’s expectations. Most of all, I think balance is loving yourself enough to know when to give yourself a break and when to kick yourself in the ass. Honesty is the key and the only way to keep that litmus test real and true is to keep checking in with YOU and those close to you regarding what your goals, values, and mission are in this big crazy world. Surround yourself with people that have your best interests in mind and do the same for them. That’s true love at its core. Happy Valentine’s Day.