Lead a balanced life

OK, so I’ve been absolutely HORRENDOUS about balance in the last 6 months. It mostly has to do with being passionte (at least that’s my excuse) about photography. I’ve achieved amazing results in that area, with 3 of my photos getting the #ONE spot in “interestingness” on flickr.com out of over 20,000 photos uploaded per day.

However, I’ve been very negligent in enjoying my personal reflection and spiritual time. Ditto exercise, art, making music, and on and on.

Yesterday I set up a schedule for myself. My exercise time consisted of finding exercise tapes, hand weights, and a mat. Then I decided I could save about an hour by NOT exercising, ‘cause they I could skip my shower. Not an inspiring start. Today however, I have:

• done 1/2 hour of cleaning
• One hour of flickr(ing)
• 1/2 hour of personal hygene (hey, for me this is an accomplishment!!)
• 1/2 hour of 43things.
• some time socializing on the phone.

My plan is to stick with it, shape and mould my behavior a little more towards the model daily. I hope to spend 1/2 hour on 43things during the weekdays. . .so watch out!

Especially when I’m in an excited mode. Spring often tends to bring it on. Then there are those long, dry spells. . .
I console myself with the rationalization (or is it?) that there’s more than one way to keep balance: (Try to picture the “blind justice” scales.)

1. Balance a pound of crackers with a pound of crackers – The scale stays balanced, but not very exciting.
2. Balance a pound of feathers with a pound of lead. The scales are still balanced, but it’s much more visually exciting. You just have to have a much bigger volume of feathers.
   Tell me YOUR thoughts on balance.

We don’t make goals for what we’ve done, but for things left undone, for areas of improvement. Right now, I’ts gorgeous outside, and I’m sitting here (like an idiot) writing about balance when I should be outside gardening! I’m going, I’m goin!!!

Those days that are balanced seem so fleeting. I find it much easier to plunge into a project until I’m utterly exhausted. I will explore and investigate this area for growth. There are probably hundreds of opposites that I personally could be paying attention to, things like:

goal-orientation vs. process awareness

mental exercise vs. physical exercise

solitude vs. social activities

I plan to make a longer list, prioritize it, and find a way to become aware of, track, and measure the balance in my life.