If your life feels out of balance and you feel guilty that you're shortchanging family, fun, and your own health, you're not alone. As I begin a new school year I look forward to the challenges that each student must face. Today our school was without water or bathroom facilities for several hours, what a balancing act we had to do. The district provided port-a-potties (6) and 400 bottles of water... we have about 800 students on track! Wal-Mart came through with a pallet of water, which the students relished. As I drove home I thought are we ever prepared for lifes challenges?
So here are a few guidelines a dear friend of mine has shared with me about balancing your life:
1. Life assessment ~ life will feel balanced when you are relatively happy with the most important aspects of your life.
2. Values ~ No matter how busy you are, life feels in balance when you honor your values. Make a list of what is important to your life. Not what's nice, but what must be in your life for you to be happy.
3. Passion ~What do you love to do? What activities so capture your attention and energy that you lose track of time while doing them? Make a list of these activities and divide your list into groups based on the level of passion you feel while involved in them.
4. Eat Healthy ~Food is the key to life. It is the source of good health and energy. Eating healthy foods can benefit all of us. If you haven't tried our "Abundance" give me a call, I think it can make a difference in your life.
5. Walk ~Take a walk with your child on a nature trail. My grandkids are lucky enough to have a grandpa who owns a couple of horses, what a fun way to get some balance in your life.
6. Say no ~Many people find it hard to say no, so they end up taking on tasks that interfere with the important aspects of their lives and then they feel resentful and guilty. Learn to say no politely and firmly, simply indicating "I'm so sorry, I can't take that on just now and give it the attention and energy it deserves. Thank you for thinking of me."
7. Be Prepared ~ The Boy Scout Motto ~ you have to be prepared at any moment to face difficulties by knowing what to do and how to do it. Then you will know your life is in balance.
4 comments:
Wow! 7 ideas to balance my life. I am going to implement them into my life.
lol - well baby steps is about all I can do.
Saying no is the difficult one for you. You are to sweet!
Nancy, I love your positive approach to life. So you plan to implement all 7 ideas. Gotta love that attitude!
LeAnn, I too have always had a love-hate affair with the return of school.
I wrote this a long time ago.......
Shore Birds
As a young girl the beach was a place I could always go when I wanted company. It cost nothing more than a bus token, and I was assured many of my friends would be there on any day. The beach rang with the laughter of youthful friends, cold salty water, hot sun, & warm sand.
When sad or pensive the “evening beach” was the perfect place for me. The girls who never went in the water-the ones with the perfect hair do’s, perfect make up & beach towels that matched their swimsuits & nails were gone now. The people with coolers and umbrellas were gone now. The families, who carried so much beach gear you understood why they came only once or twice a season, were gone now. I often wondered where they kept all that “beach stuff” at home. Even the “beach rakers” were gone now, hauling off bags of trash and keeping a small cache of coins.
Pull on a pair of jeans, toss on a sweat shirt and the wet sand between my toes felt like quiet comfort. The shore birds would let me walk on their evening sand, as they performed. I sat silently and solved the problems of my young life, while long blond hair circled around my face and shore birds kept me quiet-and sometimes noisy company.
Most often with a sketch pad on my knees, the shore birds kept me company without infringing. Their world was now clean and silent, save the tranquil lapping waves. The huge ball of red liquid slipped into the blue pacific. I could sketch until the lines disappeared with the dark...and still the shore birds danced for me, their only guest.
When I see a shore bird, even today, I think of a less complicated life. Of the precious commodity of time to just sit and observe. Of sunsets without a time schedule.
Nina
Nina, That is a treasure. Utah doesn't have the luxury of a placid beach, but someday soon we will have a cabin in Loafer Canyon where will be able to pull on our jeans, and a sweatshirt for sure and enjoy the tranquility of fresh air. CAN'T WAIT...hope my girlfriends will join me.
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