I write this article in the Spirit of Gandhi, whose greatest teaching was to become the change you want to see in the world. In order to achieve World Balance, we must begin with ourselves. There are many ways to reach this goal. The process begins by observing our thoughts, feelings, patterns, reactions, behaviors and beliefs and then asking ourselves a number of questions. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Because I was born under the sign of Libra and balance is one of the main components of it, I have a propensity for balance. I have woven this subject into yoga classes and workshops. One workshop in particular is called ‘Living with Balance.’ It begins with an exercise reflecting upon 10-12 activities you typically do during your week, listing them vertically on a sheet of paper. The next step is to look at each one and ask yourself what part or aspect of yourself you are filling, while engaged in this activity. For instance, when one goes for a walk, it is a physical activity, but if you go with a friend and discuss world events, it becomes an intellectual activity, too. When I facilitate Spiritual circles, it fills me emotionally and on a soul level. You get the idea. Many activities fill us in more than one way.
Once you’ve completed this part, get another piece of paper and divide it into 4 sections, labeling them: “physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.” Then go through your list and see how many you have in each category. When you are done, take some time to reflect upon everything. What did you find? Were there any surprises? Do you tend to spend more time in one or two categories than the other categories?
The next part of this exercise is to ask yourself a few more questions: Do you engage in a lot of activities you do not enjoy? Identify the ones that drain you. Do you have activities on your list that fill you with joy?
When I do this exercise in a workshop, I invite people to periodically take a look at everything they do, perhaps at the beginning of the year or around their birthday, asking themselves ‘which activities do I want to continue doing? Which ones do I want to let go of?’ When we let go of being on a committee, we give someone else the opportunity to experience it and learn from it.
Another good time to reassess everything is when asked to become part of a large project or when you will be entering a new phase of your life, such as retirement. When you consider adding something new, consider dropping two things, especially if you have a tendency to say yes, more than you say no.
Return to your lists and determine the area in your life where you need more balance. Give yourself an expanse of time to do this. Another part of this journey is being able to set very clear boundaries with people, especially in the workplace. Corporate America seems to think that they own people’s personal lives. They do not and they should not. They need to be re-educated about this.
There are many other questions to reflect upon that can help bring us and our lives into better balance. Do you have balance between work and play, between movement and stillness, between speaking and listening, between alone time and social time, between asking and receiving, between being in your head and coming from your heart, between giving to others and taking care of yourself?
If you usually have a full and tightly structured schedule, every once in a while consider creating some unscheduled time for spontaneity, play and magic.
If we apply these concepts to the world of business, we will reflect upon the balance between efficiency and fun, between home life and work life and between the bottom line and giving back to the community.
It has been said that if only 10% of the population changed the way they thought about something, it would be enough to create a paradigm shift. Individuals making personal changes to live a more balanced life is an example of the power we have as global citizens. These actions can help improve the health of Mother Earth. Gandhi was a very smart man, who was way ahead of his time. There is much to learn from this Sacred man.