One of the most important things we seek in our lives is a balance. There seems to be some confusion about just what that means. An industrial balance is a device with a tray on either side of a pivot point. Whatever substance you want to know the weight for is placed in one of the trays. Weights placed on the other plate. These weights are labeled. They get added until both sides get suspended at the same level on either side of the pivot point. The equality is the balance.

Balance in our lives is about establishing equilibrium between opposing forces in our lives. These can include things like family, work, leisure activities. The common element is that these forces are all part of our relationships. Each of these attempts to achieve balance affects not just our lives but the lives of others. Among the outside forces affecting balance in our lives are things like health, money, loss and many other factors over which we have little or no  control.

Each of us has a different tolerance for the forces that we can work with and still maintain a balance in our lives. Some people seem to thrive on change. Others become very uncomfortable if anything in their lives is out of line. Extremes in behavior can indicate that a person’s life may be out of balance. If you or someone you know is almost always happy and contented and suddenly become angry or depressed much of the time, this might indicate something may be causing a change in balance. Like the ripples that occur when a rock gets dropped in water, this condition of being out of balance might not be observable in your life, but in the effects, you seem to be having on others.

How do you think the balance in your life is right now? How do you feel about yourself and your actions? If you sense a lack of balance in an area of your life, can you think of when you became aware of it? What was going on in your life and your relationships when you sensed that something was not balanced? How much control do you have over these things?

Do you think there is a change in the way people in your life are responding to you? What do you think those changes mean? Being out of balance can be a positive thing. Changing things in our lives like a job, a positive relationship change like marriage or moving to a new place can all be examples of being off balance during a time of adjustment to something new and exciting.

Sometimes it helps to talk with people we respect and trust about issues of balance in our lives. While each of us must determine how much our lives are balanced, because we live in relationships with others, the input of a few trusted friends and relatives can be helpful.

Most of us would agree we seem to live in a world so complicated that achieving balance in our lives sometimes appears to be overwhelming. As we move forward, our ability to recognize the factors that affect the balance in our lives and the lives of those around us becomes a vital skill to live our lives to their full capacity for fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness. The best to each of you as you seek to have and maintain a balanced life.

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