Life Lessons

Many people would describe me as an ‘intellectual’. I tend to live my life catering to my intellectual needs, so the activities that fill my spare time are chosen because they are interesting, challenging, or creative. This puts the 3 other cornerstones of a balanced life: emotional/social, physical, and spiritual into a slightly neglected second place. Keeping busy makes it hard to notice the imbalance; and I’m nothing if not busy, my entire personal wiki of todo-lists and ongoing projects is proof enough.

A recent medical challenge has brought with it a silver lining; being forced to stop and look at my life. The outpouring of love, help and support from friends and family has been nothing short of stunning. It’s filled my heart to the brim and reminded me that social and emotional ties are the bread and butter of a happy life. I need to pick up the phone more often. I need to turn “let’s get together sometime” into an actual date and time. Already I’ve started this and it feels great.

Nothing makes you want to work out like being forced not to. Under orders to rest and recuperate, I’m suddenly filled with desire to hop on a treadmill or grab some weights. All those times I was too lazy to work out suddenly seems so much more shameful. Being thin doesn’t mean being fit, and I totally took my physical body for granted. Never again! As soon as I’m able, I’m looking forward to starting a fitness makeover and rewarding my body for a change. Appreciate what you can do, while you are able to do it- we will all reach a day when we just physically can’t. I want to have no regrets.

Starting a new spiritual practice is exciting and rewarding. But reading about it, and putting it into Practice are two different things. I’ve read the books, listened to the talks, but haven’t really put it all into action. There I go, living in my head again. It’s high time to try it out, and see what comes of it. If it sounds good on paper, it must be many times better in action.

So, for me a balanced life has four sides that form a foundation. I think that each of us has a tendency to be drawn to one or more sides over the others. What’s your dominant side? Stepping back to re-evaluate your life can show you where something is missing, and for me… it’s just what the doctor ordered.