I'd like to close this blog series/musings on balance with a few closing with one important, final point. Our lives consist of many elements and the times when everything is in perfect order will be rare. As the old saying goes, "it's always something." One area will get worked out, and something will go out of whack in another area. It's not bum luck, or life being out to get you. It's just the nature of reality. As much as we strive to get things in order, we also must accept the contradiction that there will almost certainly be some level of chaos in life.
I know this seems to fly in the face of my musings over the past month, but it's a truth that must be faced. The good news is that if you do your best to set boundaries and do what's right, then you can handle the inevitable kinks in your well laid plans. Life is always going to throw new challenges at you, but you can meet them if you've gained self confidence through knowing yourself and your life well enough to seek the opportunity in challenges and find ways to incorporate those benefits into what you have.
It also takes acknowledging the very fact that life is a series of ebbs and flows. It's like a pendulum swinging - things will always go up and down, over and over - and you may be at one state in one area and a completely different state in another area. Take my life, for example. My family, home and health are rolling right along (thank God), but my job is absolutely insane right now. Current and coming staff changes have caused my workload to explode. But you know what? I've been here before, and I know I can make it through. The vacancies will be filled, new people will be trained, and this too shall pass. Plus, I'm fortunate to work with good people in a great place, and they help and support me as much as they can. Sure, it can be tough to face the day when you know it's an avalanche of chaos heading right for you, but I've faced times like this before and have learned that I can only do my best and it will have to be good enough because it's all I have to offer. I had to learn to be happy with that.
You also have to learn not to let the expectations of others bother you too much. Although it's not an issue now (as I said, I have good co-workers), I have been in situations where people thought I wasn't "doing enough" or "doing good enough" and felt they had to express their bitter disappointment in me - frequently and loudly. In fact, my last "challenging season" was full of people grouching at me for one reason or another. I had to learn to tell them to accept my best or buzz off. And of course, they came back to try again, but after being stonewalled with that response 2 or 3 times, they got frustrated enough to realize that I wasn't going to solve their problems and they'd just have to do it themselves. But I credit them for being some of the inspiration for Splinter so heh heh heh - be careful ticking off a writer, for you might inspire their muse.
Joking aside, it's an important point. One key factor in keeping balance is knowing how much you can do, and not trying to do it. Accept your best and mind your own business. Help where you can, but realize limits. Don't overstep your bounds. And for the love of God, accept reality. That's #1. Too many people spend great amounts of time and energy trying to force things to happen that shouldn't be, or forcing people to serve roles in their life that they aren't meant to serve. It's an exercise in frustration, but it's an exercise many people seem to enjoy. You have to step back, take a good, hard look at your life every now and then, and make adjustments. We all get out of order from time to time, especially when those mountains pop up before us. It's all too easy to let one or two things take over your life and mind. Don't permit that to happen. If you start to feel like something's taking a bigger place in your life than it should, find out how the encroachment happened and fix it. Sure, there are times when emergencies or whatnot require us to put our priorities or desires on the back burner, but they should be temporary. If it becomes a lifestyle, you've allowed something to get far out of balance and it needs to be corrected - quickly and efficiently. But be forewarned: when somebody or something creeps in the center of your life then be ready for a fight, because they aren't giving up that space lightly. But it's a fight that must be had, and won.
Balance is probably the most important factor in living a life that's happy, healthy, and productive. Frankly, you can't find success without it. And while it's a continual work in progress, it's work that's integral to living well and necessary to living right.
That's all today. Take care and have a good weekend.
Bye!
I know this seems to fly in the face of my musings over the past month, but it's a truth that must be faced. The good news is that if you do your best to set boundaries and do what's right, then you can handle the inevitable kinks in your well laid plans. Life is always going to throw new challenges at you, but you can meet them if you've gained self confidence through knowing yourself and your life well enough to seek the opportunity in challenges and find ways to incorporate those benefits into what you have.
It also takes acknowledging the very fact that life is a series of ebbs and flows. It's like a pendulum swinging - things will always go up and down, over and over - and you may be at one state in one area and a completely different state in another area. Take my life, for example. My family, home and health are rolling right along (thank God), but my job is absolutely insane right now. Current and coming staff changes have caused my workload to explode. But you know what? I've been here before, and I know I can make it through. The vacancies will be filled, new people will be trained, and this too shall pass. Plus, I'm fortunate to work with good people in a great place, and they help and support me as much as they can. Sure, it can be tough to face the day when you know it's an avalanche of chaos heading right for you, but I've faced times like this before and have learned that I can only do my best and it will have to be good enough because it's all I have to offer. I had to learn to be happy with that.
You also have to learn not to let the expectations of others bother you too much. Although it's not an issue now (as I said, I have good co-workers), I have been in situations where people thought I wasn't "doing enough" or "doing good enough" and felt they had to express their bitter disappointment in me - frequently and loudly. In fact, my last "challenging season" was full of people grouching at me for one reason or another. I had to learn to tell them to accept my best or buzz off. And of course, they came back to try again, but after being stonewalled with that response 2 or 3 times, they got frustrated enough to realize that I wasn't going to solve their problems and they'd just have to do it themselves. But I credit them for being some of the inspiration for Splinter so heh heh heh - be careful ticking off a writer, for you might inspire their muse.
Joking aside, it's an important point. One key factor in keeping balance is knowing how much you can do, and not trying to do it. Accept your best and mind your own business. Help where you can, but realize limits. Don't overstep your bounds. And for the love of God, accept reality. That's #1. Too many people spend great amounts of time and energy trying to force things to happen that shouldn't be, or forcing people to serve roles in their life that they aren't meant to serve. It's an exercise in frustration, but it's an exercise many people seem to enjoy. You have to step back, take a good, hard look at your life every now and then, and make adjustments. We all get out of order from time to time, especially when those mountains pop up before us. It's all too easy to let one or two things take over your life and mind. Don't permit that to happen. If you start to feel like something's taking a bigger place in your life than it should, find out how the encroachment happened and fix it. Sure, there are times when emergencies or whatnot require us to put our priorities or desires on the back burner, but they should be temporary. If it becomes a lifestyle, you've allowed something to get far out of balance and it needs to be corrected - quickly and efficiently. But be forewarned: when somebody or something creeps in the center of your life then be ready for a fight, because they aren't giving up that space lightly. But it's a fight that must be had, and won.
Balance is probably the most important factor in living a life that's happy, healthy, and productive. Frankly, you can't find success without it. And while it's a continual work in progress, it's work that's integral to living well and necessary to living right.
That's all today. Take care and have a good weekend.
Bye!
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