Balance vs. Harmony
I am part of a women’s entrepreneurial group that meets once a month, early in the morning when life is quiet and the day has barely begun. We gather to dive deep into one particular question each time. During our last gathering the word balance came up. I feel like I have always used this word and for the first time in a while, I questioned why.
I questioned what it really meant to me and then I realized that I overuse it.
I often hear people around me (including myself) say things like, “I’m working on finding more balance in my life;” which makes a lot of sense when we, for example, have not seen close friends in a while, spent quality time with our family, significant others or children. There is a sense of guilt arises instead of accepting that maybe that’s what we needed.
When I deeply considered the word, I felt a sense of struggle in my body. Balance made me feel like I had to always ‘work’ to pull back to center. That something was missing or I was never corrected back to center in a natural more fluid way. Something was consistently off and I had a list of things or actions to bring me back. Then when balance was reached, it flew right past me like a speeding train. Didn’t last long and I was back at working for it again.
My mind was shifted when a impactful leader in our group said, “Let’s replace the word ‘balance’ with ‘harmony’.” A very different feeling came up. I felt more relaxed, at ease, no longer the need to push and pull to come to center. The hard edges became softer.
Our lives are meant to be a bumpy ride, all different levels. Can we work less to find balance and be in harmony with what is coming to us?
Can we be a little more graceful and not so hard on ourselves to always aim for balance? How would it FEEL to be harmonious? What is balance anyway? Ask yourself if you can find HARMONY and see it as a long winding road of opportunity and grace within the challenges. Soften your hard edges, feel more in the flow without having to work so hard to maintain an undefined way.
