Finding Balance

Your car payment is two weeks late, you worked overtime every night this week, and you still haven’t returned your mother’s phone call.

Or, maybe you suddenly find that your nightly routine involves three hours of TV watching with a pint of ice cream and a coke.

Or, it could be that you have two very important midterms to study for, but a weekend of partying has left you too tired to concentrate.

Whatever the specific circumstance, we’ve all experienced the feeling of being off balance in our lives. It’s natural to look for a quick fix to make things right. We feel lack in one area of our lives, so we try to fill it up with other things. This can result in over-indulgence, addiction, or conversely, feelings of lack. As we try to restore things to normal, we may set goals, start new regimens, or cut things out of our lives, but we often miss the most important element for restoring our missing balance: connection to the Creator.

It’s easy to place blame on superficial things, like a demanding employer or an over-booked social life. The truth is, when we experience excess or lack, disconnection from the Creator is often the real source of the problem. When we are connected to the Light, there is no struggle. Connection helps us develop balance from within, which doesn’t waver when things shift around us. “Remember,” says Karen Berg, “that the problems we face today are the ladders by which we climb towards the Lightforce of God. We move closer to purity every time we slip on the ladder but manage to right ourselves and continue upward into the arms of God and His greatness.”

One of the ways we can stay connected to the Creator is through acts of sharing. When life becomes overwhelming, it’s tempting to pull in the sails and conserve energy. These are the times when we can do the most good by helping others, and sharing our spirit and resources generously. This is how we bring more Light into the world—through uncomfortable giving (but not martyrdom). Such acts may seem to make life more complicated; our schedules become disrupted and we have to adjust. But when we share, despite how inconvenient it may be, we can build a stronger connection to the Light of the Creator.

According to Karen Berg, "The secret to fulfillment involves creating a balance between that which we take and that which we give to others." All of the energy, time, and brainpower spent trying to create “balance,” can be better spent sharing. Fulfillment comes from living a life focused on sharing with others. In doing so, we become better able to weather the challenges of life—the stormy times when career, relationships, social obligations, and personal goals throw us off kilter.

There will always be ups and downs, aspects of life that pull us in two directions. Life is like sailing. Sometimes the seas are stormy and turbulent. Sometimes they are calm and still as far as the eye can see. And of course, that can all change in an instant. Our connection to the Light is what gives us our “sea legs” so we can ride out the swells and dips with certainty. Through our connection to the Light we stay true to ourselves, anchored, and centered. By preserving our connection to the Light of the Creator we can live a more fulfilled and balanced life.