Finding a means to balance situations in our lives might seem impossible and stressful as time goes on, but you would recognise that it is the optimal recipe for an enjoyable life. The concept of balance reminds me of a Robert Frost’s odyssey, ‘The Road Not Taken’; two roads diverged in the woods and according to him, he took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference. He felt the need to plough the road less travelled (where the grasses had started to overgrow). Nowadays, we do not literally need to travel the wood to make a difference in our lives. The road less travelled for us could be the other phenomena or experiences of life we continually desert and deflect. Until we travel those roads, there might be no difference made. 

Are you among those who wait for things to get to them?  For a number of us, we can sincerely say that from an early age, we imbibed the ‘step-out culture’ as a vehicle to meet our dreams and aspirations. Growing up, my university days to be precise – I recall how I would supply products to companies who had a demand for them; that opportunity introduced me to a world of endless possibilities outside the four walls of my school. This does not mean I did it all by myself; I had support from guardians along the way, that helped me strike some balance. We have to learn how to achieve that crucial balance in every sphere of our existence so we have no regrets when we arrive at sunset.

I am sure that the cliché expression, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ is reverberating through the minds of some of us every now and then; probably more at 4.00 pm on Fridays. It is loosely interpreted as a call find stability doing what makes us happy and permit ourselves to enjoy life and slow down. We should learn to quit rushing everything and jumping ahead of ourselves; make time to breathe, reflect, grow, and learn. Sometimes, our next achievement might be to have an uninterrupted good night’s rest. Allow others in; let them share in our lives and visions instead of sprinting ahead of everyone.

Our lives are begging for equilibrium in areas we have failed to recognize affect – Personal, Social, Professional, Spiritual, and Understanding. These essentials of our existence need to be equally catered for, in proportions that define who we are and ought to be. Finding balance here isn’t a simple arithmetic calculation as Teddy Pendergrass recommended his classic “Loving Somebody”. It doesn’t necessarily have to be 50-50 or 70 – 30 in order to make sense. Afterall different things rock our boats. As long as we exist as rational and passionate beings, finding a sense of balance is necessary. It is very important because it helps us discover who we are and defines us. 

We must switch stance from time to time, brew cocktails of experiences, learn and unlearn, forgive and move on; and most of all, observe time-out. We are like chef in the kitchen, bar tenders if you like and the quality of our meals/cocktails is a function of the right proportion of the constituents we combine; they need to complement each other.

What does spirituality mean to you? I ask this question because I believe spirituality is something that should be a personal experience. Reflect. It will be more valuable for us to have different reasons for being spiritual, and different experiences which makes us carry such label.  Being spiritual means connecting to our souls through compassion, critical thoughts, beliefs, and meditation. Spirituality is what helps us appreciate, impart our intrinsic values and make us a better version of ourselves. It is the perfect channel through which we can renew ourselves when we are feeling low; because it keeps us optimistic and enables us find or navigate our life’s purpose. It is what makes us conscious of the unknown, which helps us appreciate life more. If the scale of life’s worth tilts against our spirituality, then we must deliberately re-evaluate our actions and reconnect to God and nature. 

When push comes to shove, it is crucial to recognize that we need to experience and appreciate all the flavours that makes up the dish we call life. Some alkaline, some acid and neutral PH is all we need. And finding a balance through it all will make life’s journey very easy for us. As long as we understand our strength, balance it with our shortcomings, our lives will be more meaningful. This balance must also reflect in our finances; access and control over our means of livelihood is refreshing but the most uplifting remains empowering others through our resources. As we chase our dreams, it will be worth our while if we take seriously the recommendations of Maya Angelou “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” It is important because the forces of the universe interconnect us and have a way of posting our debits and credits, and it in our best interest for our accounts to balance out. 

Balance is the spine of a happy and healthy life. 

Remember that a hustler’s job is never done and so we must continue to aim for balance. It is a reoccurring decimal in the arithmetic of our existence and so should be first on our ‘to do’ list everyday. Work hard and play hard.

On this note, I’m going to the gym; you are invited to join the gym virtually