Balance

What, exactly, does the word "balance" mean?  Webster defines it as..."to bring into harmony or proportion."  Balance can be thought of in many different areas of life.  The one that is typically foremost in my mind is striving for balance, harmony per se, in my life as a whole.  The ability to balance family life, work life, church life and writing life.  I seem to be in constant upheaval in this quest and often read of others, many others, who have similar issues.

This morning, in my mission to balance my day, I rose early for an exercise class so I would have that part of my day finished and would be able to focus on the rest:  groceries (family life as I have kids complaining we have no food), Mass with my son (church life), paperwork for an upcoming meeting (work life) and blogging and working on my current WIP (writing life).

As I sat spinning my wheels (literally as I went to a cycling class), I was thinking of that ever elusive idea of balance and decided that would be the focus of my blogging this month as balance is hard to come by on good days and nearly impossible in the height of the holiday season.  My posts will be short and sweet in an ongoing effort to balance my time, but I hope you can gain some insight from the words and thoughts I post.

The first words of wisdom I found to bring about my sense of "harmony or proportion" in life are these...

"When you are in harmony with yourself everything unfolds with grace and ease."  Panach Desai

Very true, very true!  So, then, how does one get in harmony with oneself?  Therein lies the issue, does it not?  For me anyway.  It is often easy to "know" what one should do or what one needs to accomplish but how to do it? How to fit it all in in a given day? 

I had a major aha moment when I read the following words which I cannot attribute to anyone as there was no name associated. Drum roll please...

It's not about "having" time.  It's about MAKING time.

Well, yes, ma'am, it sure is.  No one has all the time he/she would like.  It is what one does with the time one carves out of the day that matters.  If writing is what will put your world in balance, then write.  If doing the dishes or laundry will calm the craziness, then so be it.  Or if, like me, you feel some good old fashion snuggle up time with the kids watching Christmas movies will bring some peace and harmony to your world, do it and don't feel guilty.  There will be another time to be more "productive."  Make the time to do what is needed for YOU and let the rest be for the time being.  You can tackle the dishes, laundry, writing, shopping, wrapping, etc., later.  It will still be there, and you will, most likely, be more efficient and less frazzled.

If you have wonderful ways to find and keep the balance in your life or strategies for making time when there doesn't seem to be any, I'd love to hear them.