The value of a balance

I spent much of the Easter break thinking about the value of balance in our lives and how challenging it is to achieve that.

I feel that the greatest benefit of balance is that it prevents burnout. ‘How?’ you might ask. Well, I have a theory that if we divide our life up into its balanced parts we can do everything better for longer.

For many years now I have seen my life as divided into four essential parts; I am sure I got these ideas from reading one of the many self-help books I read, particularly when I was a CEO!

I see that life has four essential parts: spiritual, emotional, physical, financial.

Spiritual. By this I mean the soul, the inner part that we need to pay attention to. This is like our core and when we are spiritually bereft we live less consciously and, it seems to me, less happily. Spiritual does not necessarily mean belonging to a formal religion but it does mean having a set of core values and it does mean recognising the value of other human beings. It should mean that we treat people with respect; it should mean we work better with others; it should mean inner peace!

Emotional refers to our relationships with family, friends and the community. Without the support of people close to us life is very tough, but to get that support we have to give it as well!

Physical obviously relates to our health, fitness, weight and sense of wellbeing about our body. Perhaps I have this awareness and focus on health from my parents who constantly talked about the value of being healthy. Over my business life I have found that being fit has helped me through so many stressful situations; running in the morning, sometimes under the stars, has re-invigorated me in a very powerful, daily way.

Financial. Well, put very simply: I have been rich and poor and being rich is better. And easier if we have the other key elements to our life in focus. Have you ever wondered why so many rich people are so unhappy?

I hope your Easter was a time to reflect on the need for balance and to recommit to the importance and need for balance.

For more High Heeled Success blogs, click here.