Do we ever “find balance” in our lives?

I am often told that I seem to be good at finding balance in my life; I think it’s because I’m constantly making conscious choices – which are rarely easy to make.

One of my goals in life is to help others live happy, balanced lives – easier said than done. Finding balance is a constant practice; and sometimes when we think we’ve found balance, something happens and it’s gone – poof! Balance isn’t something we find and maintain! Life is constantly changing and so we’re constantly in this process of bringing ourselves back into balance. And sometimes that means there are stretches of time when we live out of balance – usually part of this time is unknowingly.

Each moment we are faced with decisions that will either help us find/remain in balance, or will knock something out of balance – and sometimes, that’s ok! In order to move forward, chase dreams, make changes in our lives, we, usually, have to knock ourselves out of balance. It’s about being aware of these choices.

Right now I’m rekindling my desire to live my life to it’s fullest potential; part of that is to set goals and check-in with them and yet, part of this is to also consciously make choices that will allow me to stay balanced.

So what is balance and how does one achieve it – while still following/finding your purpose/passion?

According to Merriam-Webster, balance is defined as: “the state of having your weight spread equally so that you do not fall; the ability to move or to remain in a position without losing control or falling; a state in which different things occur in equal or proper amounts or have an equal or proper amount of importance.”

That’s great! So…??

I find that it helps to know what my “end game” is – what are you striving to achieve? What is your purpose?

When I notice that I’m not living in balance, I like to think through my commitments and decide what matters most to me and what I can give up – sometimes these aren’t the same! That’s where the difficult choices come into play. If the things I can give up are the things that matter most to me, I ask if those commitments mean more to me than living in balance for a while – if they are, that’s fine, I’ve made the choice to continue until a new opportunity presents itself to adjust again.

If I realize that I’m ok giving up a few things to bring myself back into balance, most of the time, there is a lag. It’s important to act quickly because living consciously knowing what you need to do to bring your life closer to balance, being able to do it, and not doing it is agonizing (at least for me)!

Knowing that I’ve taken action to bring my life towards balance, or that I’ve consciously decided that I’m ok not living in balance for the moment due to the “importance” of what I’d be giving up is what helps me to feel like I’m, usually, living a balanced life.

I hope this helps!