Written by Michele Chandler, LCSW
We are beings who require balance and harmony in every aspect of our selves – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Realizing where balance and harmony are needed in our lives requires deep commitment. All change takes effort, motivation, desire and opportunity. One of the best ways to bring equilibrium into our lives is to intentionally make minute-by-minute, day-to-day choices that invite the harmony of love and serenity into our daily experience. To attain this, it can be helpful to do a regular inventory exploring whether you are nourishing your spiritual, emotional, mental and physical selves.
In addition, determine if there is balance in your relationships, whether there is reciprocity, an equal give and take over time. A balance between self and service feeds the sense of harmony. Remember that it is healthy to put yourself first at times. In order to do this we must learn to establish and honor our boundaries, to set standards for our lives and the people we allow into our lives. Before we can teach others to respect our boundaries, we must learn to honor them ourselves. This may involve a change in the way we think, feel and behave. It’s hard to change habits if we never change our underlying beliefs and the expectations we hold of ourselves and of others. If we want people to respect our boundaries, it may be necessary to repeat them and follow through if our boundaries are violated. This may feel uncomfortable to do, but in order to make real change in our lives we must be willing to step out of our comfort zone, to be open to trying new ways of being. If our lives are to be relaxed, meaningful, and productive, we need to live in balance with ourselves, with others and with our circumstances. For when we can attain balance and harmony, all facets of our selves can be healthy and flourish.