The Great Balancing Act

Have you checked your balance lately?

No, not your bank balance. I’m talking about your YOU balance, as in, Are you feeling solid and steady? Are you like the tree, bending with the winds of life’s daily demands, or are you feeling less rooted and more prone to teetering?

Balance is something we tend to take for granted. And when we’re in the overwhelm of things, it may even seem elusive (especially on some days–believe me, I know!). But in truth, we rely on balance in almost every area of our lives. Nature has its own equalized systems. Without them, plants wouldn’t grow, clouds wouldn’t form, and entire ecosystems would collapse. The economy, too, relies on checks and balances, and we all know what happens when things are off kilter. Even our bodies, when at optimal health, remain innately in balance through what’s called homeostasis. Consider your body temperature. To maintain that ideal 98.6-degree sweet spot, countless systems are on constant alert to help us adjust to heat, cold, exertion, illness, hormone fluctuations, and so forth. Pretty miraculous, don’t you think?

Why, then, do we have such a difficult time balancing the rest of our lives? And how can we harness that inner life-regulator to keep our thoughts, actions, and intentions in harmony?

First, we can check our alignment. If one car tire is mounted with a slightly different turn, the entire vehicle will wobble. And if you try to drive, you may end up off the road entirely. Likewise, any goal we set requires an alignment between our intentions and our actions in order to reach it. In his book Taming Chaos, Rav Berg explained that anything we desire to create can only come into manifestation when balance is maintained. Maybe you hope to be a star in your career. Have you thought about why you want this? Is it for recognition, money, or power? Or is your goal aligned with a deeper desire, one that fulfills you and/or advances your spiritual growth? Never underestimate the power of intention to help balance and direct your actions.

Professional life coach and author Marsha Prospere suggests breaking down larger goals into what she calls “mini-goals.” For example, if Henry wants to run a marathon and starts by running 10 miles his first time out, he may end up with injuries that veer him entirely away from his end goal. On the other hand, if he creates mini-goals with increasingly longer runs, along with strength/stretch training and nutritional goals, he will likely achieve balance along his path towards success. Prospere also notes that “your goals should balance–rather than undermine–each other.” So if you’re hoping to get more sleep and also to crank up your morning workout routine, you may need to set mini-goals for each that compromise, rather than conflict. Maybe you strategize an earlier bedtime routine or add a lunchtime workout class and still sleep in a little.

Now it’s your turn:

What are your current goals? Write down one or two, and then break them into smaller mini-goals. Consider the WHYs behind your desire to reach each one, and make sure that each step aligns with your greater sense of purpose AND that it helps promote balance and harmony in the bigger picture of your life!

And, when you feel yourself falling into something too far, know that you can always right yourself. Every inhale becomes balanced with an exhale. Are there places where more balance is needed in your life right now? For instance, are you giving too much to those around you without taking time for yourself? Are you focusing more on material gain (which brings only short-term happiness) and not enough on your spiritual or inner growth?

I know that I tend to feel myself teetering when I’m doing too much without stopping to recharge. With this week’s release of my book, The Gift of Being Different (co-written with my daughter Abigail), I realize I will need to take my own advice and slow down after all this wonder and excitement! That said, I’ve felt deeply happy and energized by the opportunity to help give a voice to children with learning differences. That’s because when we are living our purpose, we are charged with more energy from the Universe, or the Creator. And the more our desire includes the wish to share our light with others, the stronger that boost becomes!

Today, let’s embrace this month of Libra, a sign represented by the scales. It is our natural state to keep the scales as equal as possible, both within ourselves and with the world. We can reclaim our balance and carry this Libra energy into the next month and beyond.

As the Rav wrote, “Without the symmetry of balance, there can be no beauty.” It is balance that keeps us alive, and balance that will help us thrive.