One of my all-time favorite TV programs is the 1962 through 1992 Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, you know, “Heeeeeere’s Johnny!” For you younger folks, he’s the precursor of Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon. Not only was Johnny one of the great comedic minds, but he scheduled the most entertaining variety acts. I remember on one show he had a guy that juggled three running chain saws. Another night he had a fellow on who had 10 flexible vertical rods, on top of which he got dinner plates rotating. Then he would run around hectically and just before one would slow down to wobble and almost fall off, he would jiggle the rod and keep each plate spinning.
Sometimes doesn’t life feel like a juggling act, maybe even with live hand grenades or swarming beehives? It’s often even described as a tug-of-war. The byproduct of a well balanced life is peace and order, whereas imbalance engenders anxiety and stress. But it does beg the question, “Does life balance really exist?” Many people feel that obtaining a balanced life is an elusive, even cruel myth.
I’ve seen various attempts at depicting this well ordered life. One is a pie chart with 6 equal slices of 17% representing career, family, spiritual, social/recreational, finance, and sleep. Another had only 3 equal daily slices of 8 hrs of work, 8 hrs of play, and 8 hrs of sleep. I know this: these oversimplifications are a myth. Even though balance is the key to a healthy, happy, fulfilling life, my personal opinion is that we are never balanced, but always balancing. In other words it’s a process more than a destination.
With that in mind, let me share a few statements that may give you some motivation, direction, and hope:
Todd Stoker is quoted as saying, “To live a more balanced life glance at the past, live in the present, and focus on the future.”
Einstein showed his wisdom when he said, “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving.”
Melissa Perry Moraja accurately observed that, “A balanced life is hard to achieve in a world where success, power, and physical appearance are thought of as so important.”
Elizabeth Gilbert stated that, “To lose balance for love is part of living a balanced life.”
Catherine Pulsifer stated, “Time and balance, the two most difficult things to have control over, yet they are both the things that we do control. . . . We need to maintain a proper balance in our life by allocating the time we have. There are occasions where saying no is the best time management practice there is.”
Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
You can do anything. You just can’t do everything.
Don’t seek for a balanced life. Seek for a balanced day; over and over again.
One person’s balance is another person’s imbalance. It’s a very custom and personal matter and should relieve stress not create it.
And here’s just a parting thought: what if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?
