Balance

It's a journey, not a destination.

Despite our efforts, maintaining balance in our lives is difficult. Socially, economically, physically, and emotionally, we are constantly looking to find a sense of balance. While our efforts are fueled by good intentions, balance is a cycle, not an achievement.

As our surroundings and priorities change so must our approach to finding balance. Here are three principles that can help us in finding balance in our lives:

1. You come first.
   To attain balance, we first must recognize our role in the equation. Balance is evaluated by the individual who is looking to achieve it. Outside forces may pressure us into finding balance, but the first person we need to satisfy is ourselves. The rest will naturally fall into place.

2. Don't expect perfection.
   Too many variables are out of our control. Unrealistic expectations are a recipe for disappointment. If I were to ask you to draw a teeter-totter, what would you draw? Most of you would draw an angled line atop a triangle. Notice how our assumption is that a stationary teeter-totter is out of balance. If we do not expect a balancing object to be perfectly balanced, how can we expect it from ourselves?

3. Gravity isn't going anywhere.
   Regardless of how comfortable we become; balance is always at risk. Like a waiter carrying a tray, no matter the number of successful services, they are always one slip away from a mishap. Having the forethought that losing our balance is always a possibility provides us with the needed encouragement to constantly reevaluate.

To quote the late, great Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Our focus must stay on the journey not the destination.

Enjoy the journey.