Part of a Well-Balanced Breakfast...

Eating a "well-balanced" meal seems to be an agreed-upon way to start the day. A "well-balanced" breakfast can include anything from Pop-Tarts to Cereal or Oatmeal, even a donut if they had commercials to tell me so. This phrase, "well-balanced," an often accepted, rarely disputed description of your meals, your job and home life, your use of alcohol, I believe is often misconstrued.

If numbers or a 3-steps-to-success is what you'd like next, then I am sorry friend, that is a book written by someone much more credentialed than I. What I have is a perspective shift, that might provide you with more opportunities in life to be content. Actively working on things is difficult at first, but yet, the amount of sacrifice being proposed here is minimal. Just every thought you ever have.

Living a "well-balanced" life is the same as ensuring what you are doing never gets out of control for one, but more importantly, never corrodes the quality of life you have now. After all, to admit you are "well-balanced," is admitting that you are therefore comfortable with the way you live currently. To someone else it might appear lop-sided, but to you, this is the sweet spot. So, for you, you don't have to do anything. You don't want to change after all. You are "balanced" and therefore a change would imply "imbalance" and therefore a disrupted way of life.

OK, now, for those who want to make a change to be more "balanced," or more specifically, "well-balanced," you guys (and I do mean you, for I am not one) look at an area of life you'd like to change, or become more balanced, and simply reset your standard. Yes, simply see the area of you life that is imbalanced and reset the standard of what your balance is. Reset your perspective on what it takes to be in this state. Balance is not a destination or an "end-game," but a perspective held by some without even knowing it. Changes over time to noticed, problematic imbalances will naturally allow the balance to occur.

Here is why I am not in this second group. I am no longer actively seeking a "well-balanced" life, for I admitted imbalances and continue to every day thus changing my perspective and therefore my attitude and outlook. I no longer desire "balance" based on some comparison, but rather altered my perspective on being "balanced" for me and what I need. This group is admitting that something in the way they CHOOSE to live now is imbalanced. We all want to act as though this isn't a choice, when it most clearly is. Even the offensive language some stranger decides to use at a restaurant, we have the opportunity as to how much we allow it to affect us or the family. We might claim more control than is true. So, again, if you are choosing something imbalanced, either, you choose to stop, choose to see the imbalance differently, or you simply leave it be and reset your standard.

I chose a reset of imbalances long ago. No, it did not provide me any money. It did not make me
better looking to other people (mostly because I don't know how other people feel about my looks and that seems to affect them more than it does me), this change did not do anything but affect my perception of life. Rather than choosing to see what I didn't have, (cliche alert) I decided to see what I do have, this made me wealthy. Instead of seeing how good-looking other people were I figured out what makes a person beautiful and decided to reset the standard on this one. When I was being too negative, I worked on early observations to cease the negativity, like judgements or competitive view of life. When I thought I looked fat, I asked who it was that said this, me? Then that is my own standard I am failing? Reset the standard, change my perspective.

For you that are in that second group and are working on being "well-balanced" in another way; maybe it be in your spiritual life even, I say, "do it." I say that no matter the thing you want to change to be more balanced, do it. If your imbalance rests on someone else shoulders, it is still your choice as to why you let this person in your life and why you allow them to affect you and what choice can you do for you.

Striving to be a "more-balanced" person is noble. In fact, having the humility to admit you are choosing to do or see something that is imbalanced is a great first step, many never get that far. The point is that you've got to look at and really discover what "well-balanced" looks like to you, change what you can change (typically a perspective) and balance out what it is you want. If you aren't willing to do that, or gave your power away to circumstance a long time ago, then I suggest your reset what balance is for you. Otherwise, it is going to be a long road of shame, guilt, denial, lies, hidden emotions, even loneliness. Go ahead and take a look at what you'd like to change and make it happen.  I did, and look at me now.

Rich!