A Balancing Game....Life

I’ve come to see life as a game of balance. Unfortunately, I seem to be losing this game most of the time. Too much work here leaves too little time for family there. Too much stress here leaves too little time for self-care there. Too much distraction here leaves too little time for peace there. In our busy world, I believe that we can too easily become unbalanced and isolated in our surroundings. While I may be losing most of the time, I am playing the game. I wanted to share some of the “balancing acts” I’ve found to be beneficial.

Perception Pilates – Take a moment to acknowledge your perception of an event or person, and then stretch your mind to look at things in a different point of view. Hold that perception and ask yourself “Why do I feel this way?” “Is my response valid or am I simply reacting for other reasons?” Take a deep breath and release the angst.

Sleep preservation versus deprivation – There seems to be an overwhelming stature attributed to those who say they need little sleep in our society. Everyone feels the need to be over productive and over worked. Yet sleep is vital to recharge our bodies and our brains. Pay attention to your level of productivity when you sleep less than you require and when you sleep your needed time. If you truly want to be more productive, become diligent in your pursuit of a good night’s sleep.

Connect For – I believe one of the greatest challenges to maintaining balance is all of the distractions we must face. We seem to be constantly pulled from one thing to the next. Most of the time we are not pulled into what brings us peace rather we are pulled away from these things. I have made a point of scheduling time simply to connect to those things that provide me with serenity. A walk in the park after work. An afternoon of movies with my children. An evening out with my husband. An hour in the evening to myself to read and write. As I take the time to ignore the distractions, I am reminded what I must connect for.

“No” your limitations – I am a people pleaser. My psyche is built upon service. So when asked to do something my natural impulse is to say “yes”. But I have found that in order to serve well, sometimes “no” means more than “yes”. My quote of the week has been “I cannot be all things to all people”. That has been born of the realization that in trying to do it all I have done it poorly. Become aware of your limitations. Limitations are synonymous with abilities. Do what your are able, but remember you are able to say “no”.