What is a balanced life? Is living a balanced life possible?

There are so many statements about balance, right? ‘Eat a balanced diet'. ‘Balance your checkbook'. ‘Balance your tires'.

And then there is life balance. ‘Create balance in your life.' ‘How to find balance?' ‘You need more balance in your life.'

Have you heard all of that too?

And then I got to thinking…what does it EVEN mean to live a balanced life? To have balance in your life. And…is balance even possible? 

What is the definition of balance?

Let's start with the definition of balance.

• An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
• A condition in which different elements are equal or in correct proportion.

Now, I love both of those definitions. But, when applied to our lives…how true are they really? We definitely want to remain upright and steady, don't we?

But, is it even possible for the different elements in our lives to be equal or in direct proportion? Everything the same…all the time?

My youngest daughter had a baby in March. I spent almost 3 weeks with them. Doing all the things. Were our lives balanced? Nope. 70% of our time was spent with her daughter Eleanor. The other 30% was spent on everything else. Laundry, meal prep and cooking, errands…with a tiny bit left for sleeping and personal care.

Were we living a balanced life?

If you look at the definition of balance…the answer is no. If you look at the definition of life…the answer is a resounding YES!

When I get the tires on my car balanced the mechanics are making sure that all 4 have the same amount of air, all rotating the same and they are all sitting on an even amount of tread. THAT is balance.

Personally, I think that is impossible in life. You cannot give each facet of your life exactly the same attention. If you have children and one of them is sick, the sick one gets more attention. Taking temps. Dispensing meds. Increased prayer. I do not wonder if everything is equal or in proportion. I do what needs to be done at the time.

If someone you love is having a rough day you spend more time with them. Listening and being there. 

If your toilet overflowed you will stop what you are doing, clean up all the water and then call a plumber. That toilet gets more of your attention. 

As a blogger, when I need to write posts and get them all ready for posting…that requires more of my attention. 

How about balance in terms of eating?

What does eating a balanced diet even mean? If you look at the food pyramid, they have grains with the higher percentage and nuts, oils and sweets with the lowest percentage. Why is that called ‘balanced?' (And, by the way, the food pyramid is really a bunch of BS. More about that later.)

Yes, living a balanced life sounds great, right?

Meaning…we need to take care of ourselves by exercising, eating clean and healthy, and taking care of our physical bodies (non-toxic cleansers, face oils, diapers, etc).

And we need to work, clean the house, go grocery shopping, do laundry, take a shower, fix our hair, spend time with our kids, spouses, family and friends.

We need to go on a vacation, re-charge and get decent rest.

And, if you try to fit all of that into a day, week or even a month you might fall short.

So I have come to realize that my balance (and maybe yours too) needs to be spread out over a period of time. Not necessarily daily balance. Maybe more like weekly balance. Monthly, or even seasonal. 

So, I can spend two days getting blog posts written up and running. And then I have five days a week to add other things and… if I had it all together and divide by seven I have balance. Now again, I think it’s impossible to be balanced like car tires and have all things equal.

So what does all this ‘balance' mean?

I say throw the term balance out the window. Well…maybe just shift the daily balance mindset to a weekly or a monthly balance.

As women we CAN definitely do all things. But, some of those things need to wait…and some of those things are urgent. It is up to YOU to decide.

I firmly believe that if we shift our mindsets to a weekly, monthly or seasonal balance we will then be less stressed. And, less stress enables us to live a victorious life. Which then frees us up to Choose Joy….everyday.

Now, sometimes life can get pretty overwhelming, right? Especially when we feel unbalanced!

And sometimes, when you are overwhelmed, stress sets in.

And when stress sets in it is sometimes difficult to be happy or joyful. So, please don’t let stress have the last word! 

Go on and take a look at the ‘Top 5 Stress Reducers’ (Action Plan included). So that you can eliminate what causes you stress and get on the path of living a joyful life.

What is Joyful Living all about?

Joyful Living is ALL about not letting let the circumstances of YOUR life determine who you really are. You learn to choose YOU instead! Not sure how to do that? Let me help! 

To begin, go ahead and read:

• What is Joyful Living?
• 5 Simple Steps to Choosing Joy
• Finding Joy in All Things
• What Does God Say About Joy?
• Difference Between Happiness and Joy