Where is the Value in Work/ Life Balance?

bal • ance/ËbalÉns/

Noun: An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady: "she lost her balance before falling".

Verb: Keep or put (something) in a steady position so that it does not fall: "a mug that she balanced on her knee".
Whether you are gainfully employed, own your business or find yourself transitioning into a new position or job, it is important to reflect on what many of us refer to as Work/ Life balance!

When we think of balance, we often think of a scale that has an equal distribution of weight on either side. This scenario appears to be somewhat safe; as it relates to life and work, we just try to figure out how to continue adding or taking away the "things" we have, need or do to either side of the scale to create balance.

The challenge for us comes when we feel that one area of our lives is far “outweighing” the others. Often we find this area to be “Work”. Even if we are accustom to working in a 9 to 5 routine, it is seldom that our mind is not already entering work mode on the drive to and from the office. Then there is the occasional business phone call after “work” hours and some dabbling with paperwork or a computer project… and oh- I didn’t even mention the time spent checking email or playing with our smart phones! The next thing we know we have allocated 10-12 hours per day to “Work” which begins to encroach on the time we want to allocate towards “Life”!

We begin to measure or weigh our "time" betwee
Work and Life. My question, however, is: What part of “Work” does not involve "Life"?

The first step in finding true balance in our life is becoming fully aware and highly conscious of our core values. When we genuinely know and are committed to our core values we are much more inclined to make decisions based on the foundation of those values! For most people, Work/ Career is a “value”; yet when we allow it to take on more importance (carry more weight) than other things in our life, other “values” slowly slip out of view.

While values differ for everyone, it is important to realize that our values are an internal road map for so many of the issues we face daily- problem solving, decision making, moral and ethical issues, and so on. Once we are fully conscious of our values, it is left to the Power of Choice. Each day we are faced with the choice of what type of Attitude we will present to the world- Positive or Negative! When we are committed to living our values and creating balance in the life we choose to live, a positive attitude prevails every time!
As you think about the desired balance in your life, examine your core values and visualize living with a positive attitude.
I want to leave you with an excerpt of an old Native American Fable in which the old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life:
“A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil and the other is good. This same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thinks about this for a moment and asks, “In their fight, which one will win?” The old Cherokee simply replies, “The one you feed!”

Which one will you feed?