Harmony vs. Balance
If you’re like most people, at some point in time—possibly even today—you’ve thought about having better balance in your life. In this crazy, hectic, technology-driven society, balance is an ever-present concern for many people. I am often asked the secret to finding it in your life. How can you get the most out of work, life, friends, family, and all of your other activities? Would you like to learn the secret to balance? Are you ready? Here it is:
The Secret to Balance
Forget about balance; it’s an illusion. “Balance” assumes that we spend an equal amount of time in all or most areas of our life. It is like the image of the scales of justice where everything is completely in balance and equal. However, the concept implies that we must spend a certain portion of each week devoted in some equal measure to every item important in our life. The problem with this is that most people can’t actually achieve this on a regular basis. We tend to live such hectic, busy lives that it is incredibly difficult to fit it all in. Balance assumes that we spend equal amounts of time in each area of our life, which realistically, is impossible. I believe in harmony, in finding ways to creating synergy between the things you love to do and the things you’re paid to do (if you’re lucky, they’re one in the same!)
But there’s good news. I suggest striving for “Harmony“. You simply cannot have balance in your life. You can, however, find harmony. This is more than semantics—it is a different way of looking at life. It is possible to create a life that is in harmony with your values and vision of who you are and what you want to do. Even the symbol for harmony (the yin yang) is out of balance if you look at each piece separately.
Here are some keys to a life that’s in harmony.
- Be Here Now
- Set time aside for the things that really matter.
- Find ways to integrate different parts of your life
- When you’re 70 years old, you’re not going to wish you spent more time at the office
My co-authors and I talk a lot more about this in our book, Who’s in Your Room. Check it out.
Harmony is created where harmony is sought. What do you do to create harmony in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts so please share your ideas/tactics in the comment forum below. Thanks!
owsome
Great idea to make things integrated to life. I used to use 15 minutes empty my mind in the morning to “be here now” then start a day. It is a lucky day.
I need to SCHEDULE time to spend on different aspects of my life. I color code my week: Green for business (and for money); Hot Pink for home life (I’ll leave that one to the imagination); Blue for training and play time with my dogs; Orange for “Me Time”; Yellow for undefined time. There are days when the day is ALL Green. Then there are days when I can go out to breakfast with my husband, play with the dogs, then get into the office: the day looks like: Hot Pink for 90 minutes, Blue for 45 minutes, then Green. I try to schedule my week either on a Friday or that Sunday for the coming week. This way I also know when there is available time to meet with new clients.
It calls my attention we’re considering to have back balance and harmony in our lives. This may mean we feel a little lost, unhappy maybe. Have our lives become a bit crazy? Do we have “so much yet to be done” that 24 hours are not enough?
The way I personally found to sincerely feel life is beautiful relies on a simple principle: I only have 24 hours. I choose to dedicate today’s time to a small number of things, the ones that will draw a smile on my face at the end of the day. My daily battles will be fought and at night I will peacefully surrender to the truce.
Beautiful write up. But,
I think the concept of balance has been misunderstood and misinterpreted, Balance is equilibrium of your body, mind and soul, and equilibrium of what makes you you. Understanding your being. Harmony is the enjoyment, the rhythm that comes from your balance.
I honestly think it doesn’t matter where you start, balance or Harmony, what is important is that you just start.
Remember, like the word Balance implies, it’s not in over doing things, over planning, extreme dieting, allocating same time for everything etc. It’s about the connection of your entire being and that is how you can take in more with crashing, that’s why a small stone can carry a bigger one like most balance picture we see.