Articles

By Ada Porat

The activities of our solar system can have far-reaching effects on earth and its inhabitants. In recent years, scientists have discovered that solar flares and coronal mass ejections that are fired off by the sun, can have a severe impact on weather patterns and all life forms on earth.

When charged emissions from the sun hit earth’s protective magnetic field, the magnetic field moves and causes a shift in the jet stream, often causing it to drop down low enough to disturb weather patterns. And when this occurs, all life forms on earth are affected by the chaos of severe weather and the upheaval in the electromagnetic field surrounding the body.

The study of magnetic influence on animal behavior has been well documented and is believed to be the cause of hundreds of dolphins and whales beaching themselves, or migrant birds flying off their regular courses.

The electromagnetic field of the human body is often referred to in oriental medicine as the Prana, Chi or Ki. Imbalance in this delicate system is most often experienced as emotional and physical turbulence which may range from a vague sense of discomfort to depression, sleep disorders, anxiety and physical disease. Upheaval caused by atmospheric changes also commonly causes headache symptoms in people when the barometric pressure drops.

In order to restore balance to the energy field of the body, an energy practitioner can determine the cause and location of the disturbance in the energy field of the body or along the meridians – a network of bio-magnetic grids that run through the body. Once imbalances are brought into alignment, the optimal flow of life force energy is restored throughout the body.

If you are feeling out of sorts as a result of changing weather patterns, there are some basic steps you can take to realign your energy field. Here are a few suggestions:

Spend time in nature.

Go for a walk or take off your shoes and walk on the grass. This simple activity enables the electromagnetic energy field of the body to ground and connect to the electromagnetic grid of earth, alleviating symptoms of lightheadedness or feeling drained.

Add coarse sea salt or Epsom salts to your bath water and soak a while.

The salt helps to chelate toxicity that may collect along the meridians, interfering with energy flow. It also restores balance to the electromagnetic field of the body.

Drink extra amounts of water.

Your body consists of 70 to 80 percent water. Dehydration is very prevalent in our society because we don’t take the time to nurture our bodies. Water supports all bodily functions and assists the lymphatic system with flushing out waste products that may cause sluggishness and headaches.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

by Ada Porat

Are you living in the closet, imprisoned by your fears or beliefs? Have you put up walls between yourself and others around you, believing they wouldn't understand? Are you hiding your truth from co-workers, friends or loved ones, believing that they wouldn't accept you if they knew what you really believe?

If these questions make you feel uncomfortable, perhaps it is time to look at the boundaries in your life. The very walls that we build to protect ourselves, may well end up suffocating us over time.

While boundaries do afford protection, they can also create walls between us and others, blocking out new growth, learning and freedom.

Just think how often we hold back from revealing our true identity, beliefs or feelings until we feel safe that the other person will accept them. We may also hold back from sharing new insights out of fear that family and friends will disagree or ridicule us.

So what defines a healthy boundary from an unhealthy one? Acting out of fear rather than from confidence usually gives a good clue. When we start creating boundaries based on fear, these boundaries tend to hold us back from the very interaction that we crave with others. Instead, we may find ourselves cut off from others, unable to share insights along our journey of inner growth and expanding awareness.

When fear drives us to hide behind boundaries, we deprive ourselves and others from the benefit of sharing our unique perceptions of the human experience. As humans, we all share similar experiences on the journey through life. When we give ourselves permission to share perceptions and insights, the simple act of sharing can result in profound healing and encouragement.

Sharing our truth with others is not about trying to convince them to see things our way. Rather, it is about being honest and transparent in our personal process of growth. And yes, sometimes it can be scary!

When sharing your perspective with someone from the heart, it always makes a difference. At times, we may sense that someone is not ready for deeper levels of sharing. That does not mean that we should not share our truth at all – it merely means that we should be sensitive to how much to share, and not overwhelm them.

If great inventors throughout history had not shared their brand new ideas and concepts with the world, we'd still be living without electricity, thinking the world is flat, and travel by foot. Your insights may not seem as enormous as inventing space travel, yet they may be very important to the person you share with.

Have you ever shared something with someone, only to have them respond with, “Thank you, that’s exactly what I needed to hear!” They may have been waiting for a clue or confirmation to guide them in a new direction, and your words provided that.

When we allow the walls of protection to come down and dare to share aspects of our personal journey from the heart, that act of sharing becomes a gift. Those who hear our truth, have free choice to receive and apply aspects of our truth to their lives.

When we remain behind boundaries of safety, everyone misses out. We miss out on the opportunity to emerge from behind our walls of self-protection to share truth, light and love. We also rob others of the opportunity of receiving that gift, and to choose how to respond.

Personal boundaries can become a comfort zone that needs a little stretching. Growth comes when we are willing to emerge from behind the safety of that comfort zone. Sometimes we take the initiative to share with others, and at other times it is the gentle exposure to another’s perspective that helps us break free from the confines of our limiting beliefs.

We are all both teachers and students. We learn by being exposed to different perspectives and information we’re not familiar with. Sometimes we learn from people's mistakes, and at other times we learn from their examples. Others offer us mirrors in which to see ourselves - opportunities to learn and share what we have learned. When we start to consciously participate in this process, we can greatly expedite everyone’s learning process.

According to the book Cultural Creatives, there are over 50 million people who desire to create meaningful change in the world. Are you one of them?

If you desire to make a meaningful difference in the world we live in, consider dropping some of the defensive boundaries that hold back your light. Start peeking out from behind your boundaries and allow your light to shine!

When you emerge to share from the heart, you’ll find others eagerly waiting to respond. Let your light shine and help bring about the change you would like to see in the world. Shining your light can help light the way for someone else!


©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

by Ada Porat

“I'm so busy! I just don't have the time.”  That seems to be what I hear from everyone, myself included. We are all so busy... running around non-stop with more things to do than we could ever get to... We spend all our waking hours working on our “To Do” list without finding time for things that would nurture us best.

I speak with a lot of people daily, and “not having enough time” is such a constant refrain that I’ve had to ask myself -- why are we all so busy?

It may be because we are caught up in a society of go, be, do. We are so busy going places, being involved, doing things… always running.  We seem to be locked in a race against time, yet we are the very ones who create all the reasons to run around and then feel stressed!

The bottom line is that we always have a choice.  We made the choices that got us over-committed in the first place, and we have the power to change that also.

One of the best tools for sorting through our over-stuffed commitments is honest evaluation.  Before accepting or scheduling that next activity, how about asking yourself these two questions, and answering them as honestly as you can:

1.  What will this activity give me that I don’t have now?

You say you need that second job to pay your bills? Perhaps stretching yourself so far is an indication that the 72” inch TV is not really a life necessity, or wearing the latest fashion is not worth sacrificing your health and relationships for…

2.  How will it affect my life emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically if I decline this activity?

At times, the lure of a better lifestyle or of keeping up with others’ expectations can blind us to the very things that we cherish most: our health, relationships with loved ones, those precious years while our children are around.  No amount of riches can restore these to us once they are lost.  Is the price we’re paying truly worth it? Perhaps we would be happier by scaling back some and having more time to spend with family and friends...

In the practice of mindfulness, we are reminded to take each action consciously: to eat consciously, to walk consciously, to do everything from that state of mind. We can cultivate that consciousness by looking at life the way we treat vacation... when on vacation, we savor each minute, even when we just lay back and relax.  In a very real sense, we are merely visiting Planet Earth -- we don't know for how long -- so let’s savor each minute of this visit, taking stock of our lives and finding the time to appreciate the beauty around us.

 

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com

This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Reclaiming Your Forgotten Healing Garden

by Ada Porat

We are a mysterious species of extremes and contradictions. It has been said that we are capable of dreaming the most beautiful dreams while harboring the darkest nightmares.

In the last 100 years we have mastered the secrets of matter, conception, life and death. We are capable of redesigning our genetic code, customizing weather patterns and creating new forms of life - powers historically left to God and nature.

And yet, the irony is that despite miraculous technologies, families are still destroyed by preventable disease, malnutrition, and epidemics. Despite the most sophisticated understanding of peace, we still perpetrate the horrors of war, induced famine and senseless acts of hate.

We may discover that it is precisely the context of these extremes that compels us to search for unity in our world and to find a sense of meaning. We are yearning for a deeper understanding of life and the part we have come to play in it.

This search for meaning draws us inward, away from the hustle and bustle of external life.  Once we start the journey to find truth within, miracles can start to unfold.  The secrets of living a meaningful life are indeed hidden in the heart, where they often lie forgotten, like an abandoned garden waiting to be rediscovered.

By doing the work of reclaiming the inner beauty of that forgotten garden, peace is restored within us.  And as we start making peace with ourselves, our external conflicts shift as well.  As we change our inner perspective on life, the things around us change as well. As Wayne Dyer says, when we change the way we look at things, the things we look at, change! 

The Creator appointed human beings as custodians of this beautiful planet. In each of us resides the power to create our world as an abundant garden, lush and beautiful. 

We can - and must – indeed reach out to bring healing to the Earth. 

Like a journey of a thousand miles, the first step starts within each one of us.  The Hermetic teachings of Thoth show how the nature of the Divine is reflected in everything: as above, so below; and as within, so without.  As we reclaim our connection to the Divine, the effects will radiate out from us to benefit Mother Earth as well.  What a great incentive for doing our inner work!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com

This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

 

Your Mind Matters
By Ada Porat

The way you think of yourself determines your success or failure in everything.

Think about this truth for a moment. What do you really think about yourself? Do you like yourself? Are you able to think of yourself as one who succeeds in all or most objectives, or do thoughts of failure dominate your mind?

If you have accepted an idea of inferiority concerning your looks, your talents, your ability to make friends or be successful, then it is time to take a closer look – that idea could be holding you back!

The truth is that we are all a mixture of talents and challenges. It is simply what you focus on, that seems to grow ever larger. You are extraordinary in many ways because you are unique. You are different from others, and therein lies your magnificence. There is no other single being in the universe exactly like you. You have talents and latent abilities that no one else can match!

Every soul in human form is divine. Some human souls perhaps display the radiance of their being more clearly because they have peeled away the layers that obscure their inner brilliance. When we look at the brilliance of others, we may be tempted to compare that to our weaknesses – but wait! Instead of doing that, recognize that your brilliance is simply in different areas.

At any given time, your magnificence is only a thought and an action away! You have no limitations except the ones you have accepted and thus imposed on yourself. The mind simply programs our emotions with the beliefs we feed it. Without exception, your beliefs help create every seeming reality you experience. This is universal law that works in every area of your life.

To reveal your true nature, your true magnificence, then, you need to identify what limiting beliefs lie hidden within. Once we identify and discard the false beliefs we hold about ourselves and our version of reality, our limitations simply disappear. The truth does frees us from within!

In three-dimensional reality, a false belief is just as powerful as a true belief. The mind has no way of distinguishing between true and false beliefs. What ever we hold in mind, tends to manifest in our reality. However, the instant you stop giving your power — your life energy or focus — to a false belief, it ceases to hold any power over you or your life..

Every human being in this majestic universe has been given the unique gift of free choice. This divine gift makes us equal co-creators with God. Because we have free choice, we each live in the kind of world we have chosen to live in. For each of us, it is solely the power of our beliefs that produce matching outcomes: physical health or disease, happy or sad emotions; and the many nuances of experience in the physical world. We create the results we get in our world, for better or for worse. If we don’t like the results we are getting, we can choose again!

Why do beliefs have so much power? Because they stem from ideas and thoughts, which are the primary reality we experience in the third dimension. In the third dimension, we deal with a world of polarity or opposites. A belief glues itself into this reality from either end of the duality spectrum. Everything in this reality has a dualistic opposite. For example, one end may be polarized into faith while the other end holds fear. Either one of these two equally strong electric states of consciousness is able to move and change your world. Fear is equally powerful to faith. Either state brings equivalent construction or destruction.

And we have freedom to choose! When you understand the interplay between the two opposites of faith and fear, would you consciously choose to remain fearful? Knowing our powerful ability to create that which we focus on, we can make better choices!

Knowing that you have free choice, you can stop beating yourself up over choices that did not serve you well. And yes, you can choose again, this time empowered by the wisdom of the insights gained!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

You Can Change Your World!

by Ada Porat

You have the power within you to change your world!  Here’s how:

The vibration of your words and thoughts powerfully affect outcomes in your life.  In fact, science shows that every mental state emits vibration that attracts external conditions that resonate with it.

All desire starts with a thought:  “I think I’ll plant a garden” or “I think I’ll go back to school.”  That thought ignites the energy of desire to deliberately draw resonant outcomes to us from a field of infinite probabilities.  It creates a blueprint of the form and then energizes it through desire to manifest on the physical plane.

By focusing on positive thoughts through visualization and affirmation, we set into motion a laser beam of focused energy to attract the desired outcome.  No wonder that visualization and affirmation are used so successfully by athletes to improve their performance!

In focusing our attention on the outcomes we wish to attract - desirable relationships, joyful work, or abundance - do we deny the presence of the opposite?  No, not at all!  In the world of duality, polarity is real and necessary so we can exercise freedom to choose.   We simply choose to focus on the desired outcomes instead of what we don’t desire.  In so doing, we set into motion the power of intention to change or heal by attracting optimal outcomes.

Intention is a powerful force for healing and manifestation.  The power of your intention transmits energy that attracts people, situations and synchronicities that resonate with the energy of your desired outcome.  Imagine using the power of intention to draw to you clients that can benefit from your skills, friends to enjoy, and opportunities where you can be of service.  This principle alone can turn your life around!

To increase your power of attraction, intention needs to be fine-tuned. As you will see, the resulting experience is never different than your thought or intention.  If you don't like the results you are getting, change your mind about what is possible by clearing any limiting beliefs that are blocking your full potential.

Our thoughts, attitudes and judgments have an immediate effect on our world. Because the body is electrical and each cell in the body has a positive and negative charge, we are magnetically charged with the vibrational energy of our thoughts and attitudes, and we transmit this energy into the world.

It also means that whatever we send out comes back again - we get to be right about whatever we believe for as long as we choose to believe it!

Instead of existing in a frequency of fear, lack and limitation, we can interrupt habitual thinking with, “How do I prefer it to be?” or “What would be a better way?” Once you have identified the blocks that keep you stuck in limited thinking, you can decide to believe differently about this FEAR or False Evidence Appearing Real.

By changing your thinking, you change your frequency to a higher field of probabilities for optimal outcomes.   You have the power within you to change your world!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Living With Integrity

by Ada Porat

How do we become more effective in life?  How do we gain credibility and power?

Our power as spiritual beings is based on our integrity.  Webster’s Dictionary defines integrity as:  “…the state of being whole, entire, undiminished.”   In other words, it is the ability to align all aspects of our being and our truth into a unified, harmonious flow.  When standing in that wholeness, we are able to manifest, create abundance, effect positive outcomes and heal ourselves and others with grace and ease.

When this harmony and power is missing in our lives, there may a subconscious discrepancy among the various levels of integrity.  This discrepancy results in our broadcasting mixed signals which attracts mixed – and often confusing - outcomes. 

To walk in power and flow, we need to have harmony in four areas that collectively make up the integrity of our intention.  There needs to be unity among our thoughts, actions, words and beliefs.  When one or more of these areas is not in harmony with the overall goal, the collective impact of our efforts is diluted. 

How often have you not listened to someone (a public figure, for example) talking about an issue with seeming intensity, yet their emotional appeal did not feel credible to you.  In fact, you may have felt uneasy about it; as if something fishy is up although you cannot name it.  Later, you may realize that the person had paid lip service to a concept that was not backed by congruent action. 

Even children pick up on this discrepancy.  This is one of the reasons why children do not respond well when parents say one thing and do another.  In such communication, there is a discrepancy between words and actions which dilutes the power of the communication. 

Whenever the four areas of integrity - thoughts, actions, words and beliefs - are not aligned in our interaction, communication becomes blurred and others have difficulty understanding, believing or trusting us.  They may feel that something is just slightly off, or that they don’t feel comfortable working with us. 

The first step in restoring integrity, lies in the awareness that something is amiss.  In becoming aware of it, we can run a self-check to clarify our true desires, motives or intentions at all levels. 

If your words or actions seem to backfire, ask yourself a few questions to get clarity on the deeper reasons why.  These reasons lie at the very root of why you chose to speak, act, think or believe in a given way.  Some good questions to answer, include:

• What is it I really wanted?  
• Were my actions and words a conscious expression of the Divine in me (who needs nothing) or were they based on some  deeper need for acceptance, security, status or revenge?
• Did I set up conditions in my mind such as “If I …………… then they will …………….?”
• How did I want the other party to respond?  Why?
• Why did I get upset, hurt or angry when they did not respond the way I wanted them to?

When we have inner expectations for others to behave in a certain way, we ignore their free will and set up ourselves to be hurt and disappointed.   Moreover, we give away our power to others by expecting them to meet our needs.

Instead of diluting our power in that way, we can acknowledge our inner need for acceptance, support, love and security, and then we can start to nurture those needs within ourselves.  Each one of us knows exactly what it will take to meet our heart’s deepest longing, and so we are uniquely qualified to nurture ourselves. 

Once we nurture our inner self - our inner child - with love and compassion, our thoughts, words, beliefs and actions come into harmony and we reclaim our own power.  So give yourself the gift that keeps on giving:  nurture yourself with light and love, support yourself wherever you are at, and enjoy the benefits of harmony, peace and power!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com

This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Seven Steps To Success
by Ada Porat

1. Clarify Your Goals

Spend time thinking about what you want. What does your desired goal look like? How will it make you feel? How will it enrich your life? By creating a clear picture of your desired outcome, you develop a blueprint for success!

2. Declare Your Intention

Intention is a powerful force to put to work for you. When you commit to the realization of your goal, you create an attractor field that starts drawing to you the people and circumstances needed to make it a reality. Once you’ve decided what your desired goal looks like, declare your firm intention to yourself, to the Universe – and to the apparent obstacles along the way!

3. Use Positive Affirmations

Where attention goes, energy flows. It's easier to create your desired outcome when you use positive statements and self-talk. Positive affirmations nurture the desired outcome instead of feeding doubt and fear.

4. Tune In To Intuition

Take the time to become still and listen to your inner guidance as while navigating toward your goal. You intuition is a powerful ally that can alert you to opportunities or pitfalls. For some people, this shows up as a ‘gut feeling’ and for others it takes the form of an inner prompt. As you honor your intuition, you will find that it becomes fine-tuned.

5. Ruthlessly Resist Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts have a way of choking the life out of the positive seeds we plant. Don’t allow negative images of failure and self-pity to rob you of the fruits of your creative process! When a negative thought sneaks up on you, replace it with a positive statement.

6. Take Action

A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. What action could you take now to start the ball rolling on reaching your goal? Make that phone call, write that e-mail; apply for that position - take the first step in the direction you wish to go!

7. Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

You don't have to postpone happiness until you have achieved all your goals. You can be happy now by taking time to notice and give thanks for small miracles in your life: a valuable lead, a brilliant sunset, a supportive friend. Learn to appreciate the journey toward the goal and not just the goal itself.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Awakening To The Eternal Now

By Ada Porat

Every year-end, prognostications about the future proliferate. Forecasts and forebodings are offered to support any point of view, most of it feeding into the human fear of the unknown.

At one time or another each one of us has thought about what is awaiting around the corner or a few years down the road, and how it will affect us. But if we're going to live joyfully in the present moment, we must recognize that the future is not yet created; it is an illusion beyond our grasp. In the process of worrying anxiously over anticipated outcomes, we actually lose the opportunities of this present moment.

In reality, there is no need to be concerned about what is waiting for us around the corner or a few years down the road because we are sustained by the Presence of the Divine right now. The choices we make now are indeed the only choices that matter, for in the realm of Spirit there exists only the Eternal Now. And so the very sustenance of this moment is available to us every present moment, throughout Eternity.

Advanced spiritual teachers have always taught the folly of worrying over the future. Christ said, “Do not be anxious about what you will eat or what you will drink… but seek the kingdom of God, and all of these things shall be added to you.”

To find freedom from fear, it is of critical importance to realize that we are not victims of time and space. The Course in Miracles teaches that we are limitless spiritual beings, subject only to that which we hold in mind. In other words, whatever we believe in, becomes our destiny! The very belief in the outcome we hold in mind, sets up a powerful attractor field. This field draws resonating outcomes and brings about the creation of what is held in mind, whether we focused on it out of fear or out of faith.

As we let go of the belief that the future is fraught with danger, that the end of the world is looming, or that we are powerless over the destiny of our souls, the manifestation of these outcomes are also averted. Instead, we can choose to embrace the belief that we live in a perfect, harmonious, loving world!

Perception becomes reality. That means we can live in a perfect world by releasing all beliefs or perceptions to the contrary. As we let go of the limiting beliefs about our world, we can move into the higher spiritual awareness that embraces all with peace, abundance, harmony, and right action.

Around the planet, a large segment of the population is already moving into this higher frequency and living there. Their collective act of holding in mind a world unfolding from perfection to perfection, is slowly transforming the dense energies of the physical world to align with that higher spiritual vision.

Spiritual consciousness teaches us that it is God's will for us to live in perfect peace with overflowing joy and happiness. If we truly believe this, it then follows that all things good, true, and beautiful have already been given to us - including the answer to every question and the supply for every need we could possibly ever have. When we live in this consciousness of having everything we need in this present moment, we are able to also see everyone else in this world as having the fullness of Divine provision now.

In the third-dimensional density of life on earth, individuals often get divided or split into the illusion of duality: our language clearly provides this clue in the term in-divid-dual. However, the true basis of our origin is Spirit and not the physical ego. The nature of Spirit is indivisible, always One, always connected to All That Is. I am a part of you, you are part of me, and we are eternally part of the One.

This is why we should never see each other as poor, sick, unfulfilled, fearful, or burdened with guilt. As I see and behold you, I see myself as well. When I see you through the worldly eyes of ego as someone less than perfect, I call forth into manifestation that which is not desired for either of us individually.

Yet when I look at you through the eyes of spirit or love, I see you as perfection continuously unfolding, moment by moment. And by seeing the perfection underlying all, I bring that into reality. This is how miracles happen: when someone focuses on the perfection beneath the illusion of disease, that eternal truth dispels all illusion and becomes their observable reality.

Our reality is God, and we are spiritual beings who exist as aspects of that Divinity. Divine abundance created us rich; divine perfection created us in an eternal state of well-being; divine love created us loved and loving; divine power created us as totally triumphant in every activity of life.

It is the denial of this truth that ensnares us into the trap of lack and worthlessness. There is no need for us to sink into the quagmire of lack and fear! Knowledge of our sacred Self eliminates the illusion of need, for the perfection of Self is the very principle of fulfillment.

Whatever we focus on within, we become. Remember that joy and sadness cannot exist simultaneously. When we choose one, the other cannot be. When we choose joy, we leave the other emotion in the wake.

As you choose your reality in each moment, may you choose:

happiness with no strings attached;

peace of mind that can't be compromised;

relationships without resentments or fear;

an unshakable sense of security;

confidence to accept any challenge life brings;

and a love that leaves no-one out of its embrace.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

by Ada Porat

A simple word search for life balance on Google turns up over 98 million references. That is one hot topic!

People are looking for balance, and here’s one reason why: A recent global study from www.HRlook.com says that the global workforce has stopped striving for a healthier work-life balance, with less than a quarter of respondents putting their private lives before work.

Is life balance even possible in modern society? Amid the material wealth of the industrialized world, the struggle for balanced living has reached pandemic proportions. Never before in history have we had so much and enjoyed so little.

We long for balance yet take on more commitments; we dream of bigger homes but have smaller families; we pride ourselves on the size of our networks yet have fewer friends; we consume more vitamins yet are in poorer health, our life force drained by stress and anxiety. We are bombarded with information and the constant pressure of trying to keep up. So much to do, so little time! Clearly, our lives are over-segmented and off-balance – and we pay the price with less satisfaction and happiness.

Life balance is about choice – and the choice is yours!

To restore balance to life, we need to place enough value on ourselves to motivate us toward change. A life review is a great place to start. By reviewing each core area of life, we can clean out what no longer serves us and start integrating the neglected aspects of our lives again. By doing that, we step off the treadmill of chaotic living to a life filled with meaning and purpose.

A life review can start with an honest assessment of the core areas of life: your work, home environment, family & friends, spirituality, physical health, recreation and financial health. Ask yourself what the three most stressful or unsatisfying aspects are in each of these areas and jot them down.

You also need to know what you would like your life to look like. In other words, what is your vision for your life and what does life balance look like for you? Identify three aspects that you value, or would like more of in each of the core areas.

By doing this simple exercise, you will quickly discovery which areas are in need of balance in your life – these tend to be the areas where it hurts to look! You can add more balance to you life by eliminating even just one stressful activity, or by adding more of something you truly enjoy.

Balanced living is not about achieving perfection in one area of life but of finding equilibrium overall. This holistic, integrative approach allows you to feel nurtured even if you have to put in long work hours for work to meet a tight deadline, because you know that you have scheduled time to recharge with loved ones after the project is completed.

There are many different interpretations of what life balance looks like. For some of us, an unbalanced checkbook is just fine, while for others it violates their very existence. Each of us needs to clarify what we need to feel balanced, and then we need to start working towards that goal.

I often help clients look at all their responsibilities and obligations in order to reduce or eliminate those that no longer serve them. We also work on learning to say “no.” So often, I find that people say “yes” out of misplaced obligation or politeness, when what they really want to do is say NO. No, they cannot bake ten dozen brownies for the bake sale; no, they don’t want to sit on the homeowners’ association board of directors; no, they don’t want to give up a weekend to attend a distant relative’s anniversary.

At the start of each day, every one of us receives exactly the same allotment of time. What we do with that time, will determine our level of satisfaction, accomplishment and success. In choosing how to spend our time and resources, we make decisions about how to spend energy - the primary resource of life.

Borrowing from an old recycling slogan, I use three steps to assist me in the process:

1. Reduce

Do I really need this activity, item or commitment in my environment? Do I absolutely love this in my environment? Do I need as much of it to feel satisfied, fulfilled and secure? If not, it’s time to reduce my participation to make space for more fulfilling things! A good example would be setting boundaries to reduce the number of hours I work per week, or turning off my work phone when spending leisure time with loved ones.

2. Re-use

How does this activity contribute to my personal fulfillment or quality of life? Can I adapt it to better serve my goals? Can I get the same or similar benefit from a different activity? Instead of skipping gym because I am bored with the workout and then feel guilty about it, I can switch to a different type of exercise that would give me the same benefit without boredom or guilt.

3. Recycle

Have I outgrown this activity, item or commitment? Perhaps it has served the purpose long ago and I have been holding on to it out of guilt or habit! If so, it needs to go to free up space for something more appropriate. Many of our social commitments fall in this category.

When we look at life as an integrated whole, it is clear that balance can be achieved by each of us. It ultimately is an inside job – an inner strength that enables us to flow with all the things that happen from without, ensuring inner equilibrium in the midst of outer change.


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