The lack of balanced living has driven the weight-loss industry to an all-time high. In the US, one in five adverts is based off of one weight-loss regimen or the other. Do this and that and in six weeks you will lose so number of pounds. Pour this over your food and it will drop your appetite or give you a sense of satisfaction, thereby reducing your caloric intake. The ones that irritate me the most are regimens that ask you to combine their products with regular exercise, informed caloric intake and good water intake. And I ask myself, wouldn’t regular exercise, informed caloric intake and good water intake ensure a good amount of weight-loss? Why then do I have to buy your product? I’m just saying. One man’s point of view here.
Over-Weighted Lives
Our bodies are not the only systems that get over laden with stuff. Our lives can be too! You can take so much into your life that your life becomes obese. Some of us have constipated lives, meaning much more is taken in than is released. Just like you cannot take in any food when you are constipated, some of us have missed out on opportunities that would have positively defined our lives because we were constipated and obese with stuff that was not as important as our missed opportunities. Our lives become obese when we take in excesses in commitments and relationships, especially. At times we find ourselves hopping between engagements or servicing many obligations at one time with little or no time given to find out and purge ourselves of the unnecessary weights.
Characteristics of Over-Weighted Lives
Stress and exhaustion: Being pulled in every direction is not a good feeling, and it drains you of energy.
Lack of creativity: When you have so much going on at once, you rarely find the to bring your best to the plate. You find yourself going through the motion.
Emotional Instabilities: Issues with anger management are prevalent when we are over-laden with obligations.Lack of concentration: You cannot give the needed attention to your commitments if you have so many stations to attend to.
Deteriorating physical health. I don’t have to say anything about this.
An efficient life is a balanced life. My picture of a balanced life is a plate of gourmet food in a fine restaurant. On the plate you have just what you need; no more, no less. You must learn to draw the distinction between emergencies, necessities and urgencies. You must specify the parameters that define each of these.
How To Create A Balanced Life
Create a Life plan. Define your priorities, and course of action and stick to it. Consider reading Michael Hyatt’s Creating a Personal Life Plan.Consistently evaluate your obligations. You must have a clear take on where your energy is spent, and if necessary cut some obligations to fuel some others.Employ the services of a Life Coach to keep you in line with your dreams and goals.Refresh and Renew. Take vacations. Get out of the grind and find your inner strength.Re-strategize and Re-launch. Go over your plans and ensure your strategy is the best it can be.Pay attention to your body. A sick body cannot achieve outstanding results.Develop a robust spiritual life. Our spirits control our emotions. A great relationship with God fosters an awesome sense of balance.LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’.Develop relationships that pour into you. If you are a leader, you find that you are in a position where you keep giving and rarely receiving. Mentors and Coaches are a great source of inspiration. Get one.Be disciplined. Every obligation must be one step closer to your purpose.
Summary
Therefore …let us strip off every weight that slows us down… And let us run … the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
It’s time to create a balance, folks. Get on the treadmill of discipline, lift the weights of restraints, feed yourself with the balanced diet of relationships that discharge and recharge us, be bold to take life-laxatives from time to time, and get on the weight scale of re-evaluation periodically to ensure every relationship and commitment is meeting the designed purpose, and watch yourself surge with strength and vigor into your God-given destiny.
Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance. - Brian Tracy