Insights into balance in our lives
Walking down the promenades of the eastern beaches of Auckland,
with a warm, almost summery feel to the day, I gleaned a few
insights into balance.
Removing ourselves from the daily grind
I overheard a father strolling with his young child in the pram,
saying, "Hey, this gets me away from the office. It's great!"
The woman, probably his better half, replied, "Yeah, I'd love to
get out of my daily grind as well!"
Both were seeking balance in their daily roles and
responsibilities. The difference was the man was removed from the
people and environment that was part of his working life. She,
however, was not feeling that being with her child in this way had
removed her much from her daily routine.
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on March 6th?
To celebrate International Women's Day, Janelle
has organised a special
INTO THE LIMELIGHT expo and event on March 6th,
2011.
It features inspirational speakers, creative and musical talent
and promoters to inspire, entertain and empower you to get out of
hiding, shine with confidence and make your unique difference in
the world. Promoters' info and posters available.
Tickets from iTicket.
Changing our point of balance can change the balance for
others
The
beachfront promenade had two divided lanes - one for cycling and
one for walking. On a few occasions, we saw some collisions and
near misses because people chose to cross the median line,
destroying the flow and balance of foot and cycle traffic. I guess
the insight here for me was about the grooves and moulds we
sometimes settle into - whether moulded by ourselves or by society.
Sometimes it's just good to get ourselves out of the mundane and
the "expected" and try something different. Sometimes, however,
when we do remove ourselves from the familiar, the comfort zone or
the seat of expectation, it affects the balance for others around
us (= collision). This often requires a new compromise or plan to
stay upright.
Forward planning for balance
Sometimes we have to plan for balance and a smooth event. Before
we even made it to the beach, we noticed one of my son's tyres was
flat. Thank God we noticed at the early stage and had a chance to
"remedy the imbalance" otherwise the look and feel of the whole day
could have been destroyed!
Balance is contextual and individual
On entering the bakery, my son's eyes went immediately in the
direction of the sweets department. "But it's got fruit on it," he
pointed out as he devoured his fruit and custard pastry tart. My
other son thought there was great balance in the savoury
potato-topped pie and his sweet chocolate croissant! Guess it's
about our point of reference. I don't think it would have been seen
as balance from a Weight Watcher's point of view though!
Forgot to shave the other leg
The comment that topped it all off, however, was from the woman
sitting on the beach with her young child, husband and a woman
friend. She said, "Well, I must be losing it. I had a shower this
morning and I got out and noticed I had only shaved one leg!"
Probably the result of a very busy lifestyle, multitasking, lack of
sleep, huge responsibilities, the daily "stuff" and goodness knows
what else. Quite a delightful example, though, of being off centre
and out of balance.
Other common examples of imbalance:
- Physically - carrying our babies around on the
same hip or our handbags on the same shoulder
- Emotionally - smouldering and keeping things
in or frequently taking our frustrations out on someone else
- Work - working 24/7 or spending loads of hours
at the office, and working on our days off.
- Diet - eating or drinking too much of the
wrong thing or totally restricting ourselves
- Exercise - extremes of exercise from total
sloth to over-exercising
- Responsibilities - doing everything for
everyone else and little for ourselves
- Financial - not being in control of our money
and spending
- Leisure - working, or not resting, in our
leisure time
- Sexual - low libido and disinterest, or
alternatively only one thing on your mind
- Communication - dominating a conversation or
being unassertive
Less commonly discussed imbalances
The list above contains quite common and well-talked about
imbalances, but what about these:
- Talking down about yourself and others
- Constantly complaining and being negative
- Talking over others and not listening
- Entertaining lots of negative thoughts
- Being fearful or anxious
- Lack of discipline or extreme rigidity
- "Over-pedantic-ness" or lack of preparation
- Chronic lateness or obsessive punctuality
Have you only shaved one leg this week?
Take a look at your own life. Where are you out of balance? Out
of whack? To get you started, check out what you are presently
frustrated with and complaining about. Listen to what others also
have to say about you - either positively or negatively. They could
also be good clues and indicators of where you could start.
Acknowledgement
Janelle Fletcher is
committed to helping YOU step into your brilliance
and Believe in yourself, Be yourself and Be your best self.
Speaker, presenter, writer, event organiser and coach
janelle@janellefletcher.com
www.janellefletcher.com
"And as we let our light
shine
We unconsciously give other people permission to
do the same."
(Marianne Williamson / Nelson Mandela)