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Wellbuddies Reflections
Issue 139: January 8, 2012
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Greetings!
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Good Sunday morning.
Thank you for reading Reflections. I welcome your responses. You can reply directly to this e-mail, or if you are on Facebook, comment here.
As we move into our third year, I would like to expand our horizons. Please share Reflections with a friend or family member, and encourage them to Join our Mailing List (click button to the left).
Until the next time, go well.
Pam
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Flamingo and Bicycle Revisited
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January has a predictable dynamic. The holiday season has diverted our attention for several weeks, and we have set aside what we could in the way of tasks at work and home. Once the confetti from New Year's has been swept away and the tree has been taken down, we can barely remember what we had planned to do next.
Then reality emerges (as it often does, with brute force) and we confront the challenge of life balance yet again. Since we have written about this New Year's experience before, Reflections can be brought forward, freshened up, and shared again until life settles down later in the month. Enjoy!
The Flamingo and the Bicycle
The subject of life balance comes up in many of my conversations, and I suspect it comes up in yours. Even after doing what we can to pare down the priorities, we are left with the challenge of balancing what remains: Our work. Our families. Our friendships. Our personal wellness. Our passions. Our obligations. They don't all fit. They are all important. Overload!
"The Tree." It is one of the most challenging poses in beginning yoga. Vrkisha-asana is no easier in Sanskrit. In tree pose, we are asked to stand on one foot, the other foot gracefully arranged on the inner thigh, hands reaching skyward. Like a flamingo dancing in a ballet. When I think of balance in terms of yoga and flamingoes, I am quickly overwhelmed. For how long can I maintain balance on one foot, even if I am gazing at a fixed point on the wall? How can I afford to focus on one fixed point, when I must attend to dozens more?
Enter the bicycle. Now we are getting somewhere! A bicycle also calls for balance, but it is balance-in motion. The bicycle balances, not on a point, but along a line. It calls for constant adjustment to changes in the road, in the wind, in the flow of traffic. A bicycle can be loaded up with cargo when necessary, or stripped down to nothing when speed is important. I can relate to the bicycle better than the flamingo as a dynamic symbol of life balance.
Balance is not achieved at a moment in time. It is achieved over a lifetime. It is not measured easily by the day, but more easily by the year. On New Year's Day 2013, what mix of priorities do you want to see as you review the calendar for 2012? How did those priorities spread out over the months? Some weeks are, without a doubt, all about the job. Some are, we hope, about family and friends. Some may have been spent wrestling with income taxes, plumbing, or a balky computer. Perhaps we even took a few days off for retreat and reflection.
I suggest that the smallest practical unit of balance is the week. What key elements do you want to make sure you fit into the next seven days? How do they balance out with last week's activity, and with known commitments for the week that follows? As you ride your bike through the snow and ice of midwinter are you maintaining balance by anticipating and preparing for hazards? What do the icy patches ahead look like for you? What will you do to maintain momentum and to remain upright in the process?
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I wish you peace, love, and joy as you reflect on the past year, look forward to fresh beginnings, and--most of all--celebrate and savor the present moment.
Pam Gardiner
Wellbuddies Coaching
(406) 274-0188
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