Finding Balance
Would you like to live fully with vitality, health, and prosperity? The secret to living a content, happy, and productive life is finding balance. Realizing the state of being balanced includes emotional stability, physical strength, spiritual harmony, and the means to decide. The decision to influence or determine the outcome of one’s life by being balanced requires dedication, effort, and fluidity. Just relaxing, getting away, recharging your batteries, while very beneficial, is not enough to achieve living a balanced life. Balance implies a continuous state, a push and pull in equal directions resulting in complete stability to waver any wobbles in life while remaining sure footed enough to succeed.
The concept of balance often arises in my sessions. In fact, most seek help because some part of their life is “out of balance” and the discomfort pushes them to reach out. It is so with your health as well. When your throat hurts beyond toleration, you go to the doctor knowing treatment can alleviate the discomfort. The same is true for disharmony within the family and yourself. Being a Life Coach, I have the fantastic position to offer help at all levels. Whether your life is a little out of balance, or in complete turmoil, I can be of assistance and help you find comfort.
I often think back in my life and recall lessons I’ve learned that have helped me integrate all my studies in psychology, health, wellness, and coaching. One visual that I often picture is walking the balance beam. I was once a competitive gymnast. I loved everything about gymnastics. Using your body to create something beautiful to watch, reaching and stretching outside of what others could do, and finding that perfect state of “balance”. I would get lost in the rhythmic motions and tune out the whole world, focused on movement, balance, and creation. I can recall my coach telling me the one factor that continually put me ahead on the beam was my ability to trust myself, and not be afraid. Living a balanced life reminds me of the same dedication, concentration, and movements on the balance beam.
Imagine a 2 ½ inch beam, on which you will not only walk, but do cartwheels, back-flips, and spin around full circle on the ball of your feet. Managing the challenges of life is a lot like walking the balance beam. You learn very quickly, if you loose concentration, you WILL fall, and guess what? It hurts! So you are motivated to stay on course. Much the same, if you loose focus with your life, it hurts. It hurts physically, emotionally, and financially.
The act of walking the balance beam, and walking a balanced life requires three simple steps:
1. FOCUS
Focus not on the beam itself below you, but directly ahead. Looking ahead in life manifests movement forward, keeps your head up, and creates a goal. Intense concentration requires a knowing of your abilities, concern only for what really matters, and a relaxed energy that guides you so deeply it seems without thought.
2. FAITH
How do you know where to put your next step if you don’t look down? By trusting you know the way to the end of beam. When you reach out to take a step, you hold your arms out for balance, focus on the end of the beam, and gently dip your foot along the side of the beam to feel your placement. As you brush the side of the beam, you feel confidence and deliberately place your foot ahead of you. Faith is having trust the beam will be there, trust in your ability to stay on course, and trust in the outcome.
3. DEDICATION
The beauty of fluidity comes from constant practice. Repeating the same routine over and over until you could close your eyes and still see the end of the beam. Living a balanced life is exactly the same. Practice focusing on your goals. Practice trusting and having faith. Practice holding your arms out, taking steps, and believing in yourself.
I believe in you.
© Nova Reed 2004
