Practical Steps to Balance Your Life
By Goodpal, 14th Jun 2011 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutHealthGeneral HealthWellness
Why we get so much lost in making money that we forget how to live with inner peace? Addiction to work and perfectionism are two wide spread enemies to inner peace. A four point strategy can not only bring balance in life but also help you live life enjoying peace and harmony.
- Why we are Never at Peace with Ourselves?
- Bring Balance in Life
- 1. Resolve Unfinished Personal Issues
- 2. Tame Your Silly Ego
- 3. Live in the present
- 4. Live in a Clean Environment
- Read Further
Why we are Never at Peace with Ourselves?
How often do we wish to be more peaceful and more in control of our lives? Do we ever stop to think why are we running around all the time and still don’t seem to get what we deserve? What stops us from realizing our true potential?
The truth is: we need a balanced mind when we have to make important decisions, or when we want to get over some painful things from the past, or when we want to resolve some unfinished issues. In fact, the only way to succeed in a sustainable manner is through a balanced mind. You can drive yourself crazy or work like maniac and may succeed in achieving something, but rest assured it is not going to work for long. And when it doesn’t, you are sure to go nuts.
I discovered it from painful experience few years ago when I was only working long hours – and of course, getting tired continuously. I must admit I had been a workaholic most of my life and always relished the pleasure of doing everything to perfection. In fact, I was a proud perfectionist too. A deceptive mental disease! I guess.
Had I not landed up in severe chronic frustration and depression, I probably would have never realized the dangers of addictions to work and perfection. Thankfully, the endless mental and physical pains forced me to take a stock of my life and bring elements of sanity in it.
Bring Balance in Life
How long can anyone give 12 – 15 hours daily to work? Not forever. Because, if you do that you are sure missing many other things in life, such as good health, relaxed mind, and harmonious relations. It is like eating pan cake all the time! So what I learned was: addiction (even to work) is bad and is a sign of personal weakness. Unfortunately workplaces encourage this tendency and make our lives unbalanced; the result is stress and constant fatigue.
Remedy? Make sure that you are not putting in more than 8 hours a day to work and take two off days a week. There is nothing wrong if you make less money. There is a crucial lesson here: Money earned at the cost of health ultimately ends up with the doctor!
These are my practical steps to keep life balanced and in control. Please feel free to share your experiences through the comment box.
1. Resolve Unfinished Personal Issues
In my experience, the biggest source of anxieties and tension is unfinished issues. These are conflicts in personal relations which spill over to professional life. When personal relations are not harmonious people tend to take satisfaction from work and achievements. If for some reason it does not happen life becomes further complicated and stressful. Balance between the life at workplace and home is really an important issue; happiness and peace can only follow afterwards.
All unresolved issues feed mental chatter that fuels stress and anxiety, keeping you constantly at edge. You may like to read: How to Silence the Obsessive Mental Chatter
2. Tame Your Silly Ego
“Ego has a voracious appetite, the more you feed it the hungrier it gets.” – Nathaniel Bronner, Jr
“Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.” – Colin Powell
Ego is like a wild horse. If you tame it and learn to keep it under control it will do no harm. The moment you begin to pamper it, it will tame you and soon takes control of your life – and you might not realize it. Nothing is more poisonous to interpersonal relations than a brazenly displayed ego. Whenever you put other people down or step on their toes, it is proof enough you are no more a dignified person but are a mere slave to your ego. There is nothing to be cocky about that. Ego is not a sign of strength it is a sure sign of weakness – think about it.
Being modest and humble means being who you are – you won’t like to be equated with something as rotten as the silly ego.
3. Live in the present
The only place for you to live is the present moment. Yet, most of the time you ruminate in the past or worry about the future and as a result waste the present time. Living in the present does not mean that you throw away your past and completely ignore your future. It means that you face the realities of your life right now and feeling grateful for what you have today.
Did you ever heard about a guy who was always busy working so that he can retire at 60 and live happily thereafter. He did achieve a lot spending sleepless lights and working like a maniac. He finally died of heart attack at 40. In 40 years he never realized what inner peace was. Do you think he actually LIVED a life?
You might like to read: Let there be LIFE in Your Life
4. Live in a Clean Environment
Ever heard of mental pollution? Have you ever realized how much toxic waste your mind is accumulating daily?
You probably have never heard such questions because no one asks them. You must have only heard of global pollution and how that has changed the climate but never bothered to find out how good your inner climate is. A polluted mind can never realize or enjoy inner peace.
Remember: For every minute you are restless, you give ups sixty seconds of peace of mind.
Every thing affects your mind – the company you keep, people you talk to, how you earn money (do you cheat?) and what you watch on TV. The last one is perhaps the most dependable source of mental pollution – it generally spreads only negativity in the form of violence, conflicts, deception, and greed. Nobody knows why a piece of news has to be always some negative event but that is what media does all the time. Someone kills once and the media reports it a thousand times, filling your mind with suspicion and fear. There are people who are media addict. You can be sure that they have turned their minds into junk yards; have no room for peace of mind.
Therefore, at least once a week stay away from media and use that time for filling the mind with thoughts of strength, love, peace and harmony. Practice generosity by helping weak, disabled, or poor. Helping others is the best way to grow inner strength provided you help with humility and not with egoistic thoughts.
Read Further
I Don't Feel Well. Must be Depressed.
Whole Brain Functioning and Meditation for Ordinary People
4 Simple Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy
Comments
14th Jun 2011 (#)
This is packed full of some very good food for thought. Nice read. Thank you for sharing.)
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