Back in the ’90s when I was training for a bodybuilding competition, I came across a book written by an all-natural female competitor who was a title-holder in the US and Canada. The name of the book was “Built on Balance” and in it the writer talked about balance in workouts, food, and mental attitude. That was well over 25 years ago now – but the advice is more true today than ever.
While checking the trends in health and wellness for 2019, the overwhelming flow is toward achieving more balance in our lives – especially in our food and exercise.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it seems the frenetic race toward certain diets is dying down and people are beginning to get a grip on the truth that moderation is really key. In my work I deal with people who have struggled endlessly with food issues. They’ve tried every diet in the book and own every book on dieting; they have a gym membership and work out three or four times a week militantly, yet they’re stuck. What’s the problem?
In my opinion, most of it boils down to a lack of balance.
Transitioning From One Season to Another
As I mentioned earlier, we’re fast approaching that season of change again as summer gives way to fall. It’s interesting that during seasonal changes, particularly spring to summer and summer to fall (that would be June and September) we tend to be particularly susceptible to feeling off balance. It seems there’s always more to do than there are hours in the day during these transitional times.
And, it’s not just moms getting kids back into the rhythm of school. More and more we’re hearing of not only women but men as well who are trying to balance career and family – it’s really refreshing to hear men talk about this issue. However; women seem to have a more challenging time of it, especially if they’re juggling kids, career, marriage and life in general. Where does one find the time for exercise, preparing balanced meals, leisure, friends, and visiting family? Nevermind a holiday!
Trying Google
If you check out Google for ways to balance life, you’ll find more than 332 million entries. Obviously, a lot of people are looking for balance in their lives. So, what caused the imbalance and how do you go from imbalance to balance?
There are a lot of answers to that question, including cultural and environmental ones that lead to fears about the world we live in and anxieties about taking care of ourselves and our loved ones in the here and now and in the future. There are also plenty of personal answers, having to do with self-esteem, expections, and complex wishes to please someone else, prove ourselves to them (or to ourselves), and sometimes to surpass someone else.
But, Here’s the Thing …
When you read the articles Google presents you with, you’ll find they miss a vital point. And, here’s the thing – finding balance is a lifetime project. It is ongoing. It is not a finite goal at the end of which you will have a peaceful, calm and meaningful life. Balance is a way of living. It is a process.
We are about to experience the Fall Equinox, that time where there’s equal light and dark, the balance between day and night. It’s marked on the calendar as one or two days, ie September 21/22, but in fact, the equinox is a very quick moment in time when everything is in balance then, in just a few short seconds, it’s passed and the balance has tipped.
So, rather than trying to find that place where you’re in a constant state of perceived balance, maybe a better tact would be figuring out how to navigate the transition times, kind of like “going with the flow”.
That’s what I specialize in and I’m here when you’re ready to talk.