This post is a 3 minute read
Have you ever attended a yoga class? Maybe Pilates or even ballet? Perhaps you’ve ice skated or roller bladed recently.
Do you remember how scary it was to learn balance? How to hold your body in just the right places and in just the right way?
I was a big fan of wheels as a kid. Heelys, bikes, skateboards, scooters, you name it. I probably wanted one or loved the one I had. Before I learned how to ride a bike, I was very scared (as most kids are) to fall. For some reason the bike didn’t go where I wanted it to go and the handlebars didn’t seem to work right. Funny.
I had a bad habit of leaning to one side or the other and would usually find myself pushing forward with my feet more than the pedals.
I used to ride my bike down our driveway every day after school. Our driveway was basically this big hill covered in asphalt. I would start at the top of the hill and then boogy on down, maneuvering past the large stones that would get picked up from the street and find home in the driveway.
Because I didn’t know whatI was doing I used to fall. A lot.
There was an ant hill at the bottom of our driveway- a big one- and I would literally throw myself to the side of the hill to “brake” because using the brakes like a normal kid made the bike shaky and it scared me. I couldn’t figure out how to find balance on the bike seat and slow down at the same time.
As of late I’ve begun to take more on my plate than usual. I’ve discovered that I haven’t changed much since I was 6 and still resort to the same method I used when biking before- I throw myself out of the way when I can’t seem to control things as I’d like to.
I don’t like that I do this, and so I want to share my thoughts with you on what I have come up with thus far on how to be more balanced and face life’s challenges gracefully (unlike the guy above^)
Make or Brake
I didn’t realize how overwhelming life can be as a college student. You need to make sure you’re managing time well, constantly.
Work, my website, personal needs, and a social life- it’s insane! And I don’t even have a family of my own, yet! (I can’t imagine how overwhelming that must feel and my heart goes out to all mothers and fathers)
Sometimes thoughts of what I failed to do during the day keep me up at night. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of regrets when it comes to time.
But time is an odd thing. Time has been here since before man can remember. It was mandated to us by parents, teachers, and employers everyday of our lives to instill responsibility and, well, balance. We are in a continuous business deal with time, wondering what would be the best investment. There’s a lot more to say, but you get the point- time just so darn demanding.
If time was supposed to help us feel more balanced, why is it the main reason I don’t feel balanced?
Perhaps it’s in learning how to use time like a tool. Peaking above the trees a bit. You can take control of the craziness of your schedule by learning what really matters and then focusing on that like a hawk.
Identify and Simplify.
“Some things are nice. A few things are essential.”
Elder David A. Bednar
After listing my responsibilities- which extended to about 12 things- I decided to break it down more and to identify what really mattered to me and what was just a nuisance. I was able to boil it down to 5 things.
It only took one day to hypothesize and when it clicked, it clicked. Simple as that. Now I have an essential responsibility for each finger! And I felt so much peace after I finished my list. I now have a clear idea of where to go next.
A few parting thoughts:
- Sometimes it’s best to be present.
- Your ability to push on the brakes can either make or break a relationship, a job, or a day.
- Balance is not always trying to do everything at once at a fast speed, but sometimes, it’s trying to do everything at once at your pace.
Below I’ll include the video that inspired all of this- a talk given by Elder David A. Bednar, one of the 12 Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ. He is amazing and his analogy of balance is so easy to understand. I hope you can watch this and gain more from what I was able to tell you.
Thank you for reading, I wish you all a great week!
The Darling Exposé 