72: How to Live a Life of Balance

In a recent episode we spent some time talking about whether or not we care what people think of us. On some level, we all let the words of others affect us and it's important to recognize it, accept it, and then process it. Closely related to this is the necessary task of living a life of balance. So many of us go through extremes: ups and downs, feast and famine, rest and overwork. In this episode we’ll spend some time exploring how balance is essential for our professional side as well as our let-loose side.

Balance

The image used for the banner in this episode is one of many, many pictures depicting a hobby known as Rock Balancing. Clever name, I know. This image shows pretty standard layering of rocks, but there are some artists who seriously excel in this craft. It becomes less of a hobby and more of a discipline, requiring patience and creativity. To see some incredible sculptures, search the Internet for Michael Grab.

Whether you’re into rock balancing or some other hobby, there is this unspoken realization that the more you practice that hobby, the better you get at it. It can be so fun or so interesting, however, that it begins to consume you. Brian uses the example of video gaming, but it’s not exclusive to that. My hobby is writing, and when I let myself get lost in a new story, it becomes all I want to do. I start ignoring my family, friends, and my daily responsibilities start backlogging.

Sometimes in order to complete a project well, you really do have to throw yourself into it entirely. And in the realm of creativity, that is OK! What we’re addressing in this episode isn’t a criticism of focusing your artistic mind, but drawing attention to the fact that when something, anything, becomes all consuming so that other essential and important aspects of life get ignored, it might require us to pull back, refocus, distribute our attention, and then dive back in.

Links

• The Zen of Rock Balancing
• Photo by Brandi Reddon Unsplash