Are you in balance?

I came to the realization recently that I’m out of balance.  Going back to last week’s post, I realized that I have minimized certain aspects of my life.  I spend a considerable amount of time with myself every day (which I require), but I have still been out of balance.  So what’s the deal?  Where is the imbalance coming from?  That’s what I’ve been trying to discover.  I took a lot of time off this week trying to figure it all out and took some different “me time” than usual.  I even broke out the clay and the paint!

This time has been very helpful, but I still have a ways to go yet.  The main things I have figured out so far are: 1.  The time to myself is good.  The problem is what I am spending the rest of my time doing.  2.  I need to take more time for fun - to play, to laugh and not to take life so seriously.  I have neglected this part of my life.  My personality says work first, then play.  The problem with that is that the fun is often put last and then neglected.  It’s time for a change. 3.  Socially - I need to take more time to spend with friends and family. (Yesterday I spent some great time with a great friend.)  4.  This is the one that seems to be the culprit.  I have been so absorbed with trying to help others that I have neglected myself - I have neglected to live out some of the things that I am encouraging others to live.  The last thing I want to do is be some person telling others how they should live when I am not living it myself.  So change is coming.  This breaking point was necessary for me to come to this realization, this change.  The only real way to be effective is to first live it.  So that’s what you have from me - a commitment to first live the life that brings about inner peace SO THAT I can help others find this peace as well.

It’s going to take commitment, time, scheduling and saying no when needed, so here I go….

It’s well recognized that all highly effective people have balance in their lives.  The question is how do they do it?

Most recognize the mind, body, soul connection and see the need to nurture these areas.  If one is neglected then a person is out of balance.  Stephen Covey, in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, says that in addition to exercising our mind, body, and soul one needs to also exercise their interpersonal relationships using habits 4,5, and 6 of his book.  I came across this article that explains it well.

Charles Hobbs, in his book, Time Power, suggest that we need to first have balance in unifying principles and then set personal life goals in these 6 areas of our lives:

1. Spiritual

2. Intellectual/Cultural

3. Physical/Recreational

4. Financial

5. Social

6. Professional

Neglecting any of these areas will result in imbalance.

I’m off to inspect and tweak my unifying principles and to set some personal life goals.

Are you out of balance?  In what part of your life are you out of balance?  What plans do you have to get in balance.  What tips do you have for achieving balance?

As promised, the winner of the coffee competition is…….

Thanks so much for all the interest in the new Principles for Peace Coffee Shop.  It was certainly a very difficult task to choose the winner of last week’s competition so I let my husband do that.  He also had a very hard time choosing a winner.  Lance of Jungle of Life is the winner.  Congratulations Lance!!  To read his comment click here.  Lance, be looking for an email from me to claim your coffee.  To continue the celebration of the Coffee Shop grand opening all shipping on the first bag of coffee for the rest of September will be $4 (That’s a deal).

photo by:  neurmadic