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Balance can seem to be a moving target for so many of us. The idea is obvious, and we desire it, but most often we have a hard time slowing down, changing habits and setting intention in order to really create the change.
First we must realize that balance is an ideal, and while we can chase it as a goal, it is dynamic and everchanging. My favorite way to think about balance is on a surfboard. When the waves of life are calm and we are steady and focused, standing up on our surfboard requires a small engagement of the core and a brief period of focus. Once we are standing, balance is pretty easily achieved. I like to think of this as our lives without chaos, demands, and hectic schedules.
Next, let's add some waves- an argument with a spouse or child, unrealistic work expectations, chronic underlying stress- and now even kneeling on our surfboard is a challenge. Life's waves are rolling, and even though the ocean, board and I are the same, my circumstances have made it much more challenging to balance and hold on. In this situation our hope of balance may be from our knees vs. our feet. Balance looks exactly like this in real life. It is far easier to create order and balance when our waters are calm. It is largely important however, to still strive for balance when the waters are not.
My desire is to remind you that true balance does not look like being in a meditative state for 23 hours a day. It does not look like perfection, and it is also not a passive action. Mirriam Webster defines balance as 'an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.' Applying this definition to the topic of mind body and soul in balance allows us to see that balance really means multiple things working together in order to achieve a common goal. Spending equal time in connection and development with not only our body and minds, but also with our soul allows us to identify our life themes and lessons, and allows us to identify fully our gifts and how to operate within them. Getting in touch with these areas allows us to understand ourselves more fully, what our personal balance looks like and what the way forward to that may be.
xoxo Nicole
