Finding Lifes Balance

By: Len Stubbs

FINDING LIFES BALANCE

Len Stubbs
Certified Christian Coach
Real Path Coaching

One of the most important ongoing series of decision that you will have opportunity to wrestle with over the course of your lifetime has to do with whether or not your life is in balance. Do you control it or is it controlling you?

I have heard it quoted that: “Leading a balanced life can be difficult for any of us. There is not an exact pattern that works for everyone, and even our own blueprint may change during different phases of life." I think this is a fairly insightful assessment but what the real question is what does it mean to you, your decision process, and your finding balance in life?

Lets take just a second to evaluate the balance in your life. Do you find yourself involved in activities that you wouldn't choose to be involved in if you were driving the decision process? Do you find yourself missing key moments in the lives of your family members? Do you feel like you have to be on 24/7/365? Do you feel that nothing happens without you bearing its burden? Does your life feel out of control and heading in a direction not of your choosing. Do you find that your job is a source of concern, frustration, or stress? Do you find yourself unable to disconnect from your mobile phone, blackberry, and personal computer? At this point if you are thinking, hey this guy must know me, no, we have not met but misery loves company so join the crowd, like many of us your life can probably use a bit of balance.

Finding Balance in your life is centered on the ability and willingness to prioritize well thought out short and long-term decisions. Balance cannot exist without us choosing to master the skill of managing and controlling ourselves in relationship to day and time. At its core, it requires us to set priorities and taking charge of what we do and when we do it. In essence, it is all about the commitment to keep all people, events, projects, schedules, and activities in appropriate perspective. This requires us to take a stand against all the people, habits, practices, and activities that cause us to waste energy, time, and opportunity. We have to be both courageous enough and willing to look an opportunity in the eye and say no thank you, tonight is my night out with my wife, daughter, son, or family.

The Pareto Rule states that 80% of our routine activities contribute less than 20% to the outcome of our desired results. Given this reality it is imperative that each of us takes control of our decisions, projects, and tasks in order to find the happy center and balance in our lives. Focusing on a higher calling, service of some type as a top priority generally improves and liberates us to increased personal productivity, attainment of long-term goals, and to reach ultimate success, happiness, and peace of mind.

It is for this reason that I am asking you to consider, as the first step to finding balance, to seek out the will of the Father and commit yourself to living the life that God has planned for you. In order to free yourself up to get to this point you have to be ready to commit to being disciplined, surrender to His will, and to get every aspect of your life; Spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical in balance with His will.

Attaining this level of surrender requires the complete elimination of any and all excuses in our life. It requires a resolve on our part to be all that the Father has called us to be. It requires that we get focused with a singleness of purpose to align our will with His.

With this accomplished, we can position our life to take advantage of His promises.

Pray for guidance as you seek to put him first and prioritize your life so that you can find the inner peace and love of balance.

Here is what the Lord has to say about Finding Balance In Life in His word.

(1) In Job 31:6 - "Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity." 

(2) In  Proverbs 11:1 - "A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight."
(3) In Matthew 6:33 - " But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

(4) In Luke 12:15 - “Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

(5) In Matthew 5:6 - “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

(6) In Psalms 119:105 - “ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
(7) In Psalms 119:11 - " I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
(8) In Matthew 22: 37-38 - “ Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”

(9) In James 1:27 - “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. “

(10) In Proverbs 8:17 - “ I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”

(11) In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 –“ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

So in the end, mastering the ability to find balance in your life is a difficult challenge but one that will make a positive difference in your decision making ability. I want to encourage you to take a step back and take a long, hard, look at your life. Evaluate your stress level, your priorities and answer the question of whether or not you are putting the Father first? Is your life self-centered or Christ centered? As we have previously discussed, I believe the first step to restoring balance and living your life successfully is to seek His will, way, and word. Without the real peace of having a personal relationship with the Lord anchoring our lives and decisions most of us will find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, stressed, unhappy, and lacking focus throughout the day. When we make the choice to lead a life of surrender and service, we are free to focus on what is really important and finish the day with a true sense of accomplishment, direction, and balance.

Here are Eight (8) tips to Finding Balance In Life:

1. PUT GOD FIRST- Christ must be at the center of everything. The Bible teaches us that our one and only priority is to keep Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness first in everything. His will and our service to Him is our priority.

2. Focus- Be specific about the decisions, goals and objectives, which you establish.

3. Take a Long Term View- Make decisions in the present that can have the greatest positive impact on your future. Short- term decisions must align themselves with established long-term decisions.

4. Take Responsibility - You control your choices and are responsible for everything that happens and everything that you commit to.

5. Limit Multi- tasking- Performing several tasks less efficiently only serves to create anxiety, stress, and a sense of being out of control.

6. Turn Off and Tune Out – It is simply not possible or practical to believe that you can be “on” all 24/7/365. As the old saying reminds us, if you attempt to burn the candle from both ends you will either get burned or if successful run out of light twice as fast.

7. Eliminate the Clutter- Don’t allow your life or your day to be or get too full.

8. Plan- Set clear priorities for each area of your life. Remember to always make the decision to choose the activities that will assure you the greatest health, happiness and financial success in the long term.

Six (6) Questions to better Finding Balance In Life:

1. Would you say that you typically have: a) A lot of balance in your life, b) An average amount, or c) Very little balance in your life? What makes you think that?

2. When you think of the word “balance,” as we’re using it here, what thoughts come to your mind – overall, what are your attitudes about “balance”?

3. If you could change it, would you choose to have more balance in your life, or less? Why?

4. In what area of your life, right now, do you have the most balance? (Examples: This could be work, home, family, etc., or even attitudes, behaviors, habits, etc.)

5. In what area of your life, right now, do you have the least amount of balance?

6. If you wanted (more / less) balance in you’re life, what is one thing you could do, starting now, to achieve that?

Each and everyday urgent, unexpected and critical events threaten to overwhelm established and set priorities for our day and lives. At each of these impasses we are confronted with decisions, which threaten to redirect our energies and directly affect our balance. To successfully deal with the chaos of confusion that is constantly thrust upon us daily, each of us needs to find a rock that stabilizes and secures us. I would suggest that you would find that rock in Jesus.

Consider these Five (5) Pitfalls to avoid to put you on the path to both find balance in your life.

Five (5) Life Balance Pitfalls to avoid:

1) Stress at Work – One-fourth of employees rate their jobs as the number-one stressors in their lives.

2) Financial Concern- Money woes matter effecting and affecting every area of your life created serious unbalance.

3) Short Fuse – If everything and everyone bothers you, more than likely the real issue that you are dealing with is that your lack of balance is draining your sense of humor, tolerance, and patience.

4) Complicated Lifestyles – Complicated lifestyles tend to be busy. Busy often causes stress. Stress causes your balance to get off center. To find balance and satisfaction in your life simplify.

5) Living by Default – Don’t allow your balance to be hijacked by others. Take back your life.

As a final thought on this subject, I would like you to consider that finding balance in your life is both energizing and liberating. It allows you to be who God intended you to be. In addition, when your life is balanced you are on the real path to great decision-making. To that end, it is important that you schedule time each and everyday on your calendars for sufficient rest, exercise, and relaxation if you seek to enjoy a healthy and balanced life.

PRACTICE: To practice the concept of balance this week, I’d like you to make a list in your Success Journal of three areas (of any kind) in which you would like to practice having more balance. Then write an action step for each one, telling yourself how you could accomplish that.

Let me help you to learn how to find Balance in your Life. Contact me on the web at realpathcoaching.com: email me at mailto:rplcoaching@gmail.comor better yet call me at 843 589-9236

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