Balance is a funny word. I’ve often heard it used in context with people trying to hold me back from doing the things I care so much about. Yet, at the same time, as someone who has done so much healing work, I know how important balance is.
It’s not so much that balance is a funny word as language is a funny tool. We filter words differently in our conversations with others, and for different intentions. I’m sure I’ve used balance as a reason to not take the risks that I need to take, for instance, because it’s uncomfortable. I’ve let others (and myself!) use that word to talk me out of a momentum I’m riding.
At the end, we know when to pull away and tend to something else for balance, or when to stay and get lost in what we’re doing (those are some of the most transformative moments). But in order to find lasting joy, we want fulfillment in both our work and in our relationships (both the lover and friendships– don’t drop your friends). We want space for our hobbies. If you don’t know what they are, you probably haven’t given yourself that kind of space in a very long time. And we need daily practices for maintaining good mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. In one of those categories lies social service/ social justice work. Because our personal health, abundance, connection, purpose, and well-being doesn’t happen in isolation. We impact each other more than we know.
When we camp out in one area for too long without watering the others, we’ll feel out of balance, even in the area(s) that we’ve been camping. How your balance portions out from day to day will be as unique as your fingerprint, and only you will know when those portions need to change. Portion control isn’t exclusive to eating. Just like it, though, it assists in good digestion.
It’s worth figuring out. It’s mostly not worth explaining to others.
Savitree Kaur 