Balance as a Force for Empowerment

When you think about the concept of balance in your life, what thoughts spring to mind? Do you think about your diet and the importance of balancing natural nutrition with the occasional indulgence? Or do you conjure up images of the gym and a vigorous exercise session as an antidote to the stresses of work? Obviously, balance means different things to different people. But balance has deeper implications for our health, our happiness and our chances of success.

It’s easy perhaps to understand this powerful principle in terms of our daily diet because it’s much easier to measure our food intake in discrete quantities that usually produce changes in how we feel as well as how we look. But what about the balance in other areas of our lives?

One of the major issues plaguing human potential in the corporate world today is work-life balance. The term itself diminishes our ability to make the case that work can be a richly rewarding part of a person's life and should in many ways be personal.

-?????? Matthew Kelly

Working effectively towards your goals can be a very rewarding experience. But, when the quest for success becomes a single-minded obsession and the other parts of our lives are relegated to positions of lesser importance, this is when problems arise. Relationships are usually one of the first places to suffer. People can feel neglected when they don’t receive the full measure of time and attention that sustains a successful relationship. Does the quest for success really require us to sacrifice the warmth and support of our loved ones? Absolutely not.

The answer is simple enough. It’s all a question of balance.

When you’re planning your agenda and allocating specific hours for key tasks during the week, remember to allocate sufficient time for those who are important to you. That’s all it takes. A few moments to make time for your loved ones when scheduling your diary. It isn’t particularly difficult but it could pay huge dividends. It’s simply a case of recognising that your private life deserves as much consideration as your work schedule.?

The more often you decline invitations to spend time with friends or family, because you are too busy with either work or other activities, the more you should realise that your life is not in balance.

-?????? Byron Pulsifer

It’s true that many individuals hide behind the screen of their work and responsibilities. They prefer the distraction of their busy agenda to the needs of their loved ones. In many ways, this could be described as a displacement activity, an alternative behaviour that acts as a substitute for what really needs to be done. Yet, our relationships exert a profound influence on the quality of our lives. Despite the temptation to evaluate our lives in purely financial or material terms, it’s more revealing to define the finest outcomes in our lives in terms of? our relationships.

This is not to diminish the value of material success. Rather, the argument is in favour of recognising the importance of creating balance. Time slips through our fingers and vanishes without a trace. You look up from your keyboard one day and you notice you’re alone. Where did the days go? Where are the people you treasured, the ones who made you smile? Your quest for success does not need to exclude the joy and fulfilment of deeply rewarding relationships. You really can – and should – have both.

Too much of one thing can end up creating stress. This is something that no one needs in their life. But living a life in balance can provide harmony and peace.

-?????? Catherine Pulsifer

In the same way, a change of scene can provide extraordinary benefits to your creativity as well as to your ability to recover your strength, your energy and your enthusiasm for your chosen goals or quest. Perhaps it’s a residual artefact of our distant days as wide-ranging hunter-gatherers but we can become stale when we stay in the same place for too long. We seem to benefit from the stimulus of a change of location. The change doesn’t have to be permanent but a little time away from the familiar trappings of the work environment can stimulate your creativity and help you to see things from a fresh perspective. It’s simply a question of balance.

Adequate rest is another obvious area to consider when you’re thinking about introducing greater balance into your daily routines. Your brain needs sufficient down-time to analyse, store and process all the events of the day. This usually happens during sleep but, if you’re feeling stressed and your sleep patterns have become disrupted, your cognitive function can plummet. Set a fixed time for going to bed every night to encourage a healthy and predictable routine for your mind and body to follow. Turn off all media, close the books and magazines and set aside a twenty-minute interval to help you relax before you plan to sleep. It’s a simple yet highly effective way to introduce a healthy rest habit every night and you’ll start to notice the difference each morning as you wake up feeling more refreshed and ready for whatever the day may bring.

Getting in balance is not so much about adopting new strategies to change your behaviours, as it is about realigning yourself in all of your thoughts so as to create a balance between what you desire and how you conduct your life on a daily basis.

-?????? Wayne Dyer

Balance is not a luxury. It’s a fundamental aspect of a healthy and successful life. By avoiding extremes, we reduce the chances of unexpected disruptions and challenges to the flow of our lives. We maintain a higher degree of control and equip ourselves to enjoy all aspects of our lives.?

Are you ready right now for a completely fresh approach to life’s great adventure? Get in touch with us today for a free session to discover how the growing global movement for personal growth, success, change and empowerment can enhance your life!

Greg Parry created the Cognitive Empowerment Programs specifically to help people master their stress, overcome their limitations and explore the power of their true potential.

If you enjoy these blogs, you can imagine how much fun it is to have Greg in the room as an inspirational and highly perceptive speaker. If you’d like to invite Greg to talk to your company or organisation or event, feel free to get in touch.

You can contact Greg at:

[email protected]