‘I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me’.
Regret Number 1 – Top 5 Regrets of the Dying
Welcome to this 5-part series on balance.
I’ve heard the ‘Balance is BS’ theory. It is until your world as you know it comes crashing down.
I understand the concept of work/life integration. I simply refer to it as Life because that’s what it is.
Balance means different things to different people. Some people think about it, some people don’t. Some feel they have it, some don’t.
Like success, each of us will have our own criteria as to what it means for us. And that’s just perfect.
The key is knowing what it means to you.
Why?
- Because relationships don’t break down overnight.
- Burnout doesn’t happen overnight.
- Businesses don’t go broke overnight.
- Ailments don’t just happen overnight.
They happen in a series of moments, moments we can often miss because we don’t notice them.
Life happens in a series of moments and we have so many choices. The irony is that with so many choices available today, so many people are feeling more powerless and stressed than ever. In relationships, in their career.
Imbalance can feel like a lack of control, but here’s the thing. Control is simply an illusion. The only thing you ever have control over is you. Your thoughts, your decisions, where you put your focus.
Often we can feel off-kilter because we’re looking for things from others that we need to be giving ourselves. Love, appreciation, validation, kindness, acceptance, permission. You know the things you give to others emotionally? You need to give them to yourself first. When you do that, notice the shift. That neediness or resentment you felt that put you off-kilter? Feel it disappear.
This is how you realise your power. It’s about creating your true north so you can find your way ‘home’ in any given moment. It’s where balance starts. Without it you’re in free flow.
It’s a feeling, it’s an energy. It can’t exist without self-awareness.
Stay tuned for Part 2 – the mechanics of balance.