If there’s one thing I can say with 100% certainty that I typically don’t have, it’s balance. Or, at least, a true *sense* of it. When you’re a naturally ambitious person with a case of way-too-many things on your plate at any given moment, it’s the biggest B-word in the book: balance. Google defines it as:
I define it as a unicorn.
Balance is a unicorn.
It’s all nice and cute to talk about, and we all want it, and it’s the cool thing to have or think you have. But in reality…balance just doesn’t freakin’ exist.
A balancing ACT, on the other hand – that’s so very real.
It’s so very real – as real as musical theater – cos it’s all an act. Going through the actions and motions in an attempt to hit this momentary place of equilibrium is a real journey (and real struggle) that we face every single day as we can attempt to “balance” everything from family to friends, work to play, vegetables to ice cream, water to wine. In the end, it’s all an act. Because I don’t know if I’ve ever met a single person in the history of ever who could honestly say that he or she had it all figured out, and that their life was totally balanced out, fairly, evenly, and equally. Where weight was equally distributed across all important things, or where different elements are in the “correct” proportions, as Google instructs.
Enter, today’s Monday Mantra:
Balance is a unicorn, and balance is an act.
We’ve gotta embrace the balancing act of life if we ever hope to achieve some semblance of sanity – and if we ever hope to be legitimately stress and anxiety-free, without a constant worry that we’re giving too much or too little to one thing or another.
Embrace the balancing act.
Sometimes, certain things basically *demand* more attention and time, so balance may not necessarily be about the amount of time spent. It’s also about balancing your spirit and achieving that spiritual balance that brings you peace and clarity. And it’s about balancing your mind and heart, achieving mental balance that brings you relaxation and the ability to stop the spinning of to-do’s and thoughts from turning 24/7. The idea of balance may change weekly, daily – even hourly! – and we just have to be flexible enough to go with the flow of it.
One week you might work much more than you play.
One day might be spent entirely relaxing with friends instead of productivity first, partytime second.
One hour might be cheese curls and Gossip Girl, while the next is a protein smoothie and yoga.
And maybe you’ll nix yoga altogether and opt for a night on the couch with your main squeezes Ben & Jerry. And yannnno what???
It’s totally okay.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald hit square on the head, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right.” Some things in life make for a good occasional overindulgence. The key is recognizing which of those things are worth it for you, and not looking back with the slightest best of regret when you treat yo’self to some quality R&R over extra hours at the office. Embrace the balancing act. Know that balance is not this place beyond golden gates, that you reach and get to hang out in forever once you’re there.
And…Google is smart.
Balance – to keep or put something in a steady position so that it does not fall.
Enter, the balancing act.
Even Google knows we don’t all have our ish totally together, where the pieces of the pie charts of our lives are proportioned our perfectly. Really, at the end of the day, sometimes it’s about juggling it all in a way so that it does not fall – so that we don’t lose pieces of our puzzles along the way. Because balance is fleeting. Balance is a unicorn, but it’s also a butterfly. A gentle, fleeting butterfly. If you hold on too tight, it’s suffocated and lost – it only exists to be enjoyed temporarily while it’s there.
Chances are, you’re never gonna feel like you totally have your shit together. Excuse my French, but it’s too true to tone down.
Balance is an act.
And balance needs to be acted out time and time again to get it + keep it + enjoy it repeatedly.
Google says that balance means everything has to be in “correct proportions,” but I think the caveat there is “correct proportions for you at that given moment given all the other things going on in life.”
Give yourself grace. Know that a seeming lack of balance right now in this moment doesn’t mean your whole LIFE isn’t balanced. And even if your whole life IS outta whack and unbalanced…it doesn’t mean you can’t get yo’self balanced ASAP with a few painless tweaks. So I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face and a billionaire: “Balance is a unicorn.”
The hard truth: balance is not always possible, pointblankperiod. Sometimes, it’s physically, mentally, emotionally (maybe all three?) impossible to have all ducks in a row, swimming straight and forward and fast all at the same time. It just ain’t gonna happen. So while you have it, embrace it. Enjoy it. When you don’t have it…embrace the balancing act along the way.
How do you balance everything in your life?
Do you think your life IS balanced? When you don’t feel balanced, what do you do to try and get back in the act of balancing everything on your plate? I’m sooooo not balanced in the slightest bit oftentimes, so I know I lovelovelove seeing tips on how others balance things on the reg – drop yo’ own tips in a comment below so we can all help each other embrace the balancing act together. 🙂
P.S. If ya like these inspirational Monday motivators to start yo’ day off right, there’s a whole series for that.
P.P.S. Be SURE you’re following me on Instagram if you’re not already…cos this week is my birthday week, and an actual PARTY is happening on the ‘Gram, starting today. That’s all I’m sayin’…so tell yo’ friends! 😉
P.P.P.S. GIVEAWAYS GALORE: Enter to win a pair of Birdies slippers, a Canon Rebel camera kit, $850 to Nordstrom, and a Gucci Marmount bag. BOOM.
Happy Monday + Happy SPRING!