Life needs it. Without it, life can become chaotic. What is it? Answer: Balance. You can learn how to stay balanced in an unbalanced world. There are nine major areas in life we should consider when trying to establish an even keel. They include: physical, emotional, spiritual, vocational, relational, social, recreational, family/inner circle, and financial. Life purpose and vision are at the center.
The more multifaceted our balance wheel is, the less time we have to devote to each area of life. That happens when we let those areas spill into what is called a time crunch. “If I just had more time, I could get everything done.” Right? Not necessarily. Most people have a backlog of things they want to get done. That’s a given. However, when we try to accomplish it all, we create a huge problem. We rob time from another slice on the balance wheel until all areas are jammed together. Pressure builds. We get stressed out. We cannot be all toil and no skittles, nor can we be all skittles and no toil. It’s like trying to jam five pounds of hamburger into a three-pound bag. Life becomes a mess.
Balance means to allot our time and energy in such a way that benefits life’s most important areas on the balance wheel with our focus on the hub – life’s purpose and vision. We must consider whether the things that matter on earth have any real significance in eternity? If not, what can we do to change that, so we can discover our purpose for our existence, and sync our goal in living with our vision for our life? If our goal, either short-term or long-term, is to stay balanced in an unbalanced world, then our vision must encompass a doable way of achieving our goal.
Balance is not something we stumble upon. It can be a challenge. A struggle. Nevertheless, balance must be intentional in order to stabilize our physical with our spiritual which in turn, counters the effects chaos and unbalance have on our equilibrium.
Guidelines to bring balance into your life ~
- Determine the top priorities that will contribute to the quality of life you seek. Rate them on a scale of 1 to 10; the higher the priority, the more time should be spent in that area.
- Be creative. Look for ways to be more efficient with time and energy you give to the tasks at hand.
- Stay relational. Spend quality time with other people. Focus on them – not on tasks you could or should be doing instead.
- Keep healthy. Eat well. Get adequate sleep. Exercise regularly.
- Relax. Give yourself time out to enjoy life.
Are you one that needs to be reminded: “You can’t do everything!” Therefore, you do what you gotta do, and let the the less significant things go if you want to stay balanced in an unbalanced world.
Balance comes when you discover, decide, and discern what you truly feel is important. Then you weigh your options and your choices that align with what you consider your priorities. The Bible says it in 15 words of wisdom: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.”
Last week’s riddle: what is greater than God; more evil than Satan; a rich man wants it; a poor man has it, is something that does not exist; and if you eat it, you will die.
Answer: Nothing