Finding Balance

Luanne PaynickPosted by Luanne Paynick on February 25th, 2010 | 0 Comments

People often talk about the word balance as if it were a goal – a state of mind, body, emotion or spirit they desire to achieve. At VoicePro®we refer to finding balance in all of our programs, and offer specific steps to help our participants find their balance. However, it wasn’t until a recent telecall with Dr. Stewart Heller that I began to think of finding balance in a different light.

Preparing for an upcoming event can lead to greater balance. You can also take certain actions to recover from a trying moment – taking steps after the fact to “find your balance.” According to Dr. Heller, seeking greater balance through the actions you take before and after the event are relatively easy. It is when you are faced with the need to have balance in the moment that things get a bit dicey.

Being able to find balance in the moment, especially in the moments you are interacting with others, is a challenge – to say the least. Let’s face it, as soon as another person enters the moment, things get complicated. Your thoughts can trigger emotions, your passion can ramp up, and both can impact your language and your actions for a not so balanced outcome – for you, for them and for the relationship. Or, your body can literally stop you in your tracks, or the other person, simply due to your posture – for a total loss of balance.

When most people think of balance, they think of stillness. “I need stillness in order to achieve balance.” Yet how many of us are frequently still? Most people I know are in continuous motion. That being said, how will they ever achieve that desired state of balance?

What if for a moment you accepted the idea of being out of balance? That you decided it was ok to be off balance, instead of always trying to be in balance. With this new line of thinking you just might, according to Dr. Heller, minimize the guilt or shame associated with being out of balance. With that lack of guilt or shame, you just might find yourself finding balance a little more quickly. And, according to Dr. Heller, being out of balance is the root of our creativity.  Wow! Who would have thought that something we are trying to avoid – being out of balance – could bring about anything positive?

So, though being more accepting of being out of balance is a good idea, I think we would all agree that is not where we desire to live for a great length of time. So, how do we move through being out of balance more quickly?

  • Be ok with being out of balance.
  • Recognize the signs in the moment that tell you “I’m out of balance.” (a quickening of your breath, a tensing of your shoulders, a shift in your body’s center of gravity, etc.).
  • Continue to breathe – deeply, silently, and frequently.
  • Be comfortable with moments of silence and stillness in your interactions.
  • Keep your posture open.

 

Image by hickoree

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