Living a balanced life

What does living a balanced life really mean? Our culture advocates doing things in moderation, yet for many that can be a challenging concept. Living a balanced life simply means giving equal power to both heaven and earth. We attempt to seek a happy medium, one which relies equally on God(or what ever entity you choose to call it) and ourselves. That sounds easy enough in theory, but it can often be daunting. When our lives feel out of sync, it could very well be that we have lost our equilibrium and need to regain or find a balance.

In this culture, we are taught to "turn things over." From an early age, we have all these balls trown at us. Eventually we begin to feel angry and restless in our lives, because we might be juggling ideas that don't necessarily align with our true selves. It is at this point we have what in psychology is coined as an "identity crisis." What does this really mean? It means that there is an inbalance within who we are and who we want to be. If we have allowed the world around us(e.g. family, friends, society, etc) to tell us who we "should" be, then our journey is not authentic and eventually a voice within tells us something is just not right. It can begin as a whisper, but eventually a crisis or trying event in our life will ignite that whisper into a loud, thundering scream. Unfortunately for many, the voice will be squelched and replaced with an addiction, or another distraction that continues the alienation from ones's true self. Why do we let others dictate our happiness? Why do we not follow our dreams because others might deem them as frivolous? So many people live an unauthentic life because they are living the life of other's expectations.

Many people may be at a crossroad in their life. A place where they are looking back in disappointment and forward with confusion. They question, how do I live my life differently? How do I live the rest of my life for myself and not for others? The answer is simple. Just do it and stop waiting for permission. We cannot expect someone to wave a magic wand over us and suddenly transform our lives. The power of change is not outside of us-it is within. The time to start is now with the firm resolve that no one but you can change your life. Acceptance is key. We cannot live our life with regret- it poisons the soul. We are here at this exact moment because we chose this path. Life did not just happen to us. we are not victims of our circumstances. For many that is often the most painful and difficult truth. To cognitively accept that they made every decision a long the path of their life can be both affirming and alarming.

The gift of life is that each day we can start over. we don't have to continue to make the same choices and walk down the same path. The greatest advice about spirituality that one can ever receive is that everyone has a different time table. You might look around you and see those that appear so "enlightened," while you feel like a car stuck in the mud. Stop comparing and searching to arrive at a place of enlightenment. Just accept yourself here in this moment and know that you will reach a place of balance. Your spirit is waking up and it might take a few cups of coffee to kick it into high gear..... Just breathe, laugh and keep moving forward.