Periods of Imbalance

To achieve balance there will be periods of imbalance.

I have held on to these words of wisdom for many many years — often sharing them with others who are going through a particularly intense period in their life related to work, marriage, raising children, education, health, economic, etc. I am reminding myself of this perspective right now.

I am a stern proponent and strong advocate for balance and blend in one’s life — the root of which is making conscious choices. Most of the time when I or others are imbalanced it is because we are not making conscious choices, we are not exercising our ability to choose / respond to the “key moments” of our daily life. The result is a belief and feeling that we are a victim of circumstances, we have no control, we “can’t” do anything about it, and so we are focused on survival.

The truth is that we do have the ability and opportunity to choose our response to life’s triggering events (i.e., “key moments”). And that is the wisdom I use as an anchor.

So back to my point … I believe there are times when choosing imbalance is healthy.  With a few conditions!

1. We are making a conscious, intentional choice. This applies across the expanse of key moments, including those that are dramatic / tragic. Even when facing difficult and challenging situations and circumstances, we have a choice in how we respond.
2. Our choices are vetted with God. It is so easy and often tempting to make choices and move forward with our foot on the gas and leave God behind. We want to offer our choices to God and honor that His will be done above all, not my will.
3. We share our intentions with others and ask for their support and encouragement … and accountability (see below). This definitely includes your spouse, family, co-workers, maybe clients / customers — anyone who will or may be impacted by your period of intensity. Be open with what you need — don’t hide your focus.
4. We set a limit or end date based on the situation. Right now I am in the middle of a 99 day period of imbalance. There is an end point (or at a minimum a checkpoint) to pause and assess where I am at. The people you’ve identified above keep you honest and true to your original commitment and choices. These intense periods can become addicting, so we proactively establish boundaries and checkpoints in advance.
5. Lastly I would encourage a time of celebration at the end of the period of imbalance. Pause to honor the work you have done, the strength and resilience you have shown, the talents you have multiplied, the faith and perseverance you have demonstrated.

With these parameters in place — and there may be others — periods of imbalance can be particularly fruitful and edifying.