Life Balance

November 17, 2011: The Path to Happiness

Life balance can be very complex. It equates to different things for different people, and is highly dependent upon your situation, your age, and your life stage. It is my view that whatever the circumstances of your life may be, understanding how to achieve balance is truly the purest form of harmony and wellness within you. Balance brings inner contentment, a sense of calm, peace, and happiness. Sometimes peace simply comes from silence. We’re so busy with technology, our smartphones nestled comfortably by our bedside, that it’s a miracle we even get a full, restful night sleep. We rarely take time out of our busy schedule to take a personal inventory of the different factors that actually contribute to our happiness, and how those factors stack up to what is most important in our lives. There is an old cliche…Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Those are powerful words, especially when unexpected cataclysmic events suddenly arise that remind us how precious life can be.

If you want to make a difference, you have to start with yourself. Happy, charismatic people breed happiness. If you simply take a moment, 5 minutes a day of pure, unadulturated silence, it can work wonders for your overall well being.  Here are some ways you can fit that moment into your busy day: 

1.  Take 5 minutes after you exercise to stretch and elongate your muscles. While you stretch, inhale deeply and close your eyes. Clear your mind of all thoughts. Exhale and let go of everything.

2. Take 5 minutes while you’re eating your morning breakfast or drinking your coffee. Instead of grabbing something on the way out the door, set your alarm 10 minutes earlier, so you have those few extra moments in the morning. Put down the newspaper, or sit down when you would instead be running out the door. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind. Then regroup and write down what you have to accomplish that day.

3. Take a break at work. If you’re simply too busy and you eat lunch at your desk, you most definitely need to take a 5 minute break, go outside, even if it’s raining, and take a short walk. Clear your mind. Take a deep breath. The rain will wash away anything if you let it.

4. If you find yourself yelling at your children, take a time out for yourself instead. Let them make a mess. Let them run around and be loud. Let them be children. Make sure they are safe, and then go in a room by yourself and close the door for 5 minutes. Take a deep breath. Let go of the notion of perfection. When I was growing up, my mother had a frame with the words: A clean house is the sign of a life misspent. I didn’t realize what that meant until I became a mother myself. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending upon how you look at it) it was too late to thank her, but it was not to late to realize what it meant. It took me just a moment of silence to realize my 3-year old batman isn’t for sale anymore.

5. Finally, if you can’t find time during your busy day, take 5 minutes when you lay down at night to sleep. Put your phone in another room. Clear your mind. Stop going over and over your day in your mind, and stop thinking about what you have to do tomorrow. Instead, clear your mind. Imagine yourself in a place that you find comfort, whether it’s sitting in the sun on a beach or your favorite childhood place to be alone with your thoughts. Go back to that place in your mind, the place where you felt safe.

Taking just a small block of time, 5 minutes each day, will begin your journey toward emotional and personal fulfillment. Happiness comes from within. Happiness is a choice. If you surround yourself with people who see the glass half empty, you too are conditioned to see the glass half empty. Within each of us lies the power to change our circumstances, whatever they may be. Remember, it’s your choice. Be inspired.

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2011 Blog Topics:

Kate Murray is a web & graphic designer, creator of Vogue Media & Managing Partner of Triumph Virtual Media, an e-marketing strategy firm in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Her dynamic style is influenced mostly by her family, but also by her travels, 10+ years in the corporate financial services industry, and by her ability to genuinely connect with people. Kate has the unique ability to introduce aesthetically pleasing design alongside innovative programing to create a user interface that is both beautiful and functional. She received her Master's of Business Administration in 2003 and her Bachelor of Science in Communication in 1996.