Three Easy Steps to a Balanced Life

In life there is the ying and yang to everything. But in our world of consumption and promotion through the media that more is better, our balance can easily get thrown off. Too much of even a good thing can be too much. So how do you know if you're off balance? If you don't already know, ask yourself some key questions about how you are living and experiencing your life.

1. How would you rank your level of satisfaction with each life area below? Ask yourself to honestly rate the categories below from 1-10, 10 = very satisfied to 1 = out of whack. Identify where you are deeply satisfied in your life.

• Physical Environment
• Career
• Money
• Health
• Friends and Family
• Romance
• Personal Growth
• Fun and Recreation

2. In the areas that are not a 10 ask yourself why?

3. For most of us, we are out of balance in one or more parts of our lives. Choose one or more slices of life to focus on and make a commitment to yourself to get more balance in those areas. It will make for a more enjoyable and happy life.

So what happens when we are out of whack with our priorities in one way or another? It can lead to health issues, relationship breakups,  depression, misuse of alcohol or recreational drugs, and a host of other problems. Many times we get out of balance by pursuing what we think will bring happiness or security - money, power or title in our work. The important thing to realize is that chasing the carrot is an illusion. Having meaning and balance in your life is much more important. If you are aspiring for a higher position, more money or a prestigious title - do it in a balanced way. If this is your aspiration, your performance is going to speak for itself.

So regardless of what your carrot is, whatever that thing is that you are chasing in life, do it in moderation. We all need goals to strive for in life to keep us focused and hopeful of something more, different or better than where or what we are or have currently. It's how we go about pursuing those goals that is important and will either fuel us or burn us out.

I encourage you to assess your life every couple of months and see how balanced you are and identify any areas you have become more ying than yang or vice versa. Imbalance creeps up insidiously sometimes and we don't realize a problem is brewing until we have kept our eyes shut too long behind the wheel and we are about to crash into a wall.

Love yourself, be kind to yourself and stay in tune with your heart and your body - they will always be honest with you if you listen.

Namaste