Balance

Celebrating New Year’s was especially rewarding this year. My family and I created a lasting memory by ringing in the New Year in the Dominican Republic. After an exceptional dinner including grilled lobster, we attended an outdoor concert and screamed with hundreds of others as the countdown to midnight transpired. At the strike of twelve we watched bright, colourful fireworks explode in the star filled sky up and down the beach from the different resorts. The celebrating continued on for hours with music, laughter and lots of pictures.

Busy. Busy. Busy. I’ve got no time for anything. I’m exhausted at the end of the day.

How many times have you heard this in a day when talking to others? How many times have you said it yourself? No doubt that life is busy. At work we hear we have to do more with less. At home we might be busy running the kids to their sporting events, taking care of an ill parent or participating in a church group. Regardless of what is draining your time, it still can create a sense of loss of self or imbalance in daily life leading to considerable stress.

I was with a client the other day and he was frustrated with the lack of accountability with some of his team members. He commented how there always seems to be an excuse for poor performance or it was always someone else’s fault.

I was travelling the other week on business. In the morning I ventured down from my hotel room to grab some breakfast before starting another day. I had some notes to review that I took with me to read while munching down on some eggs, toast and juice. The room was filled with business travellers, most reading their morning newspaper or watching the news on the television. It wasn’t long until some discussions started happening between strangers. Small talk at first but some were quickly willing to give further opinions. I noticed a pattern appear.

On May 21st the world was supposed to end. Obviously, it didn’t.

The vast majority of the world’s population shrugged off the suggestion of impending doom and went about their day as they normally do. Here in Canada, the predicted end of the world corresponded with our first long weekend of the summer, so many Canadians could be found doing yard work, attending barbecues, camping and going to the lake. I spent the day completing odd jobs around the house.

While I was watching TV the other night with my wife Jane, a commercial for one of those new fabric softener bars came on. You know the ones I'm talking about, the bar you stick in your dryer instead of adding a dryer sheet.

When it comes to stress, we all have different ways of coping, and for some, meditation is the solution. If you haven’t tried it already, keep reading and give it a shot. A person who is enduring stress can find it hard to focus and may make more mistakes. Meditation techniques can help you achieve a calm state of mind without relying on drugs or relaxation tools and implements.

“Doust thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is made of.”

This quote by Benjamin Franklin sums up the dilemma that is, work/life balance. Time can work in your favour or against you and it’s up to you to determine which choice to make.