Well-Balanced Life

As we get older, and as our life situation changes, we often stop doing one thing or another that was a part of our lives before. For example, often in retirement, we trade using analytical skills at our jobs for relaxing, socializing or traveling. We may stop or start exercising based on the weather or on where we live or how we feel. We may start and stop socializing because we changed jobs or moved to a new location. These things are usually not changed with a lot of conscious thought; the situation just demands the changes.

It is important that we exercise all parts of ourselves, mind, body and spirit. Humans are meant to express themselves through their analytical skills and logic, their thinking, their emotions and feelings, their sensations and body, their spirit or soul, their intuition and dreams, and through creative endeavors. While most of us are stronger in one or more of these areas, all parts are needed for a healthy, well-balanced life.

My previous career was in computers. Very analytical, very logical. In fact, the caricature of computer people is one of being a geek or egghead and somewhat of a social misfit. My artistic side was dormant, pretty much ignored. When I changed careers to coaching, I also started expressing my creativity through pottery, through paper arts and collage and through singing. This all felt and feels really good. But I really didn't have a place to express my analytical and logical self. I picked up creativity and dropped the analytical, logical side. I felt some boredom and some dis-ease, but couldn't quite figure out what was causing it. Recently, I realized that this had occurred and have begun to add analytical activities to my life. For example, I just started reading a quantum physics book (for laymen). It requires me to really think and analyze in order to understand.

To see if this is true for you, answer the following questions:

1. How do I express in my daily life my thinking part (logic, analysis),
my sensation or body part (exercise, tactile sense),
my spiritual part (intuition, dreams, meditation, etc.)
and my feeling/emotional part?
2. Which of these am I particularly strong in and what areas do I use only a little or not at all?
3. What recent (in the past five years) changes in my life have changed what parts of myself I use and depend on?
4. Is there any area that needs some attention in order to achieve more balance?

Get balanced and healthier by using all of your gifts and talents, your human qualities. Challenge yourself to add in what's missing and see what difference it makes in your life.

Please leave comments if you found this intriguing or helpful.

All blog content is copyrighted, all rights reserved, Mary Anne Fields and Life Unfolds, 2006

The Giant Reset Button

Sometimes I think of midlife as a giant reset button. It is the time when we begin to question our choices, design and implement new lifestyles and develop a richer inner life. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, the reset button only starts the changes; it doesn't instantly transform our lives.

What if all changes were instantaneous? We'd not be ready thus causing upset and failure, our friends and family would not know what hit them and we wouldn't be allowed to change course if needed if there really were a reset button. Instead we make choices, we often start slowly, and gradually through the months, years or even decades, our new lives take shape. The slower process allows us to experience our choices, and to evolve. The real and only trick is to make a choice and get started, to overcome inertia and fear.

Sometimes we are quite sure we know what we want and why, but this is often because of our situation or conditions. For many years, I dreamed of living in a small cottage out in the country as far away from neighbors as possible, quiet and serene. I was sure that this was my destiny and had absolutely no doubts that this longing was the real me. That somehow, I'd accidentally been born in and lived in a big city. Now, for most of my 20+ years in corporate America I worked very long hours in the computer field. I worked more than half of those years for a space contractor dependent on tight budgets, short deadlines, intense visibility, and life and death situations; all of which contributed to severe stress. No wonder I dreamed of a cottage in the country with no people! After I changed careers to one that I love and where I control both the hours and the amount of stress I'm willing to deal with, the dream of the country cottage vanished. It seems now that I'd be bored in the country. So beware the instant reset!

One thing that may get in the way of our changing our lives is the past. Sometimes we want something new and different, but we haven't saved money or our credit is ruined or our resume is spotty or we owe child support for 15 more years or whatever. All of these are real and can affect the speed and smoothness of our changes, but not the change itself. Credit can be restored, resumes can be polished, money can be saved starting now, and obligations honored by planning. Be creative, step out of the box, ask for help in seeing all of this in a different light. Be open to different paths to the same place. We often get it in our heads that the only way we'll be able to do X is Y. There are a million different ways to achieve X and Y is only one of them.

What do you think of this piece? Please leave a comment.

All blog content is copyrighted, all rights reserved, Mary Anne Fields and Life Unfolds, 2006