There is a lot being written about living a balanced life these days.  What is it? How to get it? How to maintain it?  Sometimes, just the study of the subject seems like another area to balance when one's plate is already full to overflowing.

So here are some brief ideas to simplify the subject.  See how fully you employ each of the four components to increase balance in your life.

BALANCE = Truth + Awareness + Simplicity + Reserve

You need all four in order for balance to occur.  Balance is a state where you are centered and life occurs naturally.  You can't "create" balance because that is like creating air.  Either it is there or it's not.  Everything else is managing, juggling, coping, striving or 'shoulding.'  But, if you focus on the four components of balance, it will find you! 

Truth - You must be willing to tell the truth about who you are, what you really want and what your priorities are.  This is about telling the truth to yourself.  It's really not about anyone else, since it is unlikely you'll tell them the truth if you are not first speaking it to yourself - and willing to say out loud what's really going on.  If you can't, won't or don't tell the 100% truth, balance won't occur.

Awareness - Balance can't be maintained if you are unaware of yourself, your environment, your relationships and your sources of energy.  This is because natural balance is upset when you don't know what is happening to you and around you.  A focus on your values, needs, wants, standards, boundaries and where you might be out of integrity will increase your self-awareness.  (And it is from that awareness that the truth can be spoken).

Simplicity - For balance to be naturally maintained, your life needs to be fairly simple.  That doesn't mean a boring or limited.  Think of it more as "easy" or "not difficult" or as an uncomplicated solution or arrangement.  Design your life so each component has its own support system.  A budget, bookkeeper and computer for your business (work and life business), an accountant for your taxes, a personal assistant for your errands, a housekeeper for your home, a secretary for your correspondence and filing, a coach for your goals and plans.  And, there may be times when you need to toss out the goals, projects and other aspirations until you get back into balance.  After you have created and mastered the support systems and structures you need to "simplify the management of your kingdom," you can add in new projects designed with such systems from their beginning.

Reserve - A reserve in anything is more than you think you need of it.  We most often readily think of a financial reserve, and truthfully the concept can be applied to anything:  money, time, space, love, opportunities, friends, rest, energy, supplies, clients, toilet paper, clean underwear, support structures . . . !  The fact is that most of us either don't have enough of a reserve, or if we do, it isn't in all areas of life and work. 

INGENUITY GEM:

So there they are, the four elements of balance: truth, awareness, simplicity and reserve.  Which one will you start with, and where?  Creating and maintaining true balance is one of those ways of operating in the world that makes us very attractive -- magnets for what we want in life and business.  Not only do we appear more centered, content, competent, in charge -- we ARE.  Balance is not about sitting on a beach for a week to regroup, or learning to be steadier as a high wire walker.  It is about designing and creating your life so that when the rough times come (and they will), they impact your life like a small bump in the road rather than a drop into the Grand Canyon.

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