This last couple weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about the “stories” I tell myself. You know, these beliefs we hold as truth, the way we just “know” things are… the things we feel we HAVE to do (or the world will just cave in)… yeah, those stories.

Mary K and I did a whole show tackling this subject this week on Around the Kitchen Table, and it was a good conversation, and this is a topic that could be discussed for hours on end. I’ve still been thinking, and digging in, and uncovering, and discovering where my stories show up in life, and noticing if they are serving me well… (which many times they are not.)

One of the biggest stories I’ve noticed around my business is this:

I have to be sitting in front of the computer to make money.

What a shit story that is. AND I’ll tell you, it’s been building itself and growing in solidity of belief for quite a few years now. I find myself almost compelled to sit in this chair, and stare at this screen, no matter what. Whether I have real work to do, and even when I don’t. I can sit and find something to fiddle with, blogs to read, email to check (and check and check and check) comments to respond to… the list goes on.

However… when I don’t actually have any real work to do this is simply wasted time. AND if I’m being honest and really digging into my stories here… it’s not making me any money at all.

So… this week I decided to seriously identify the actual work tasks I had to do and if I was finished with them for the day, I would get up and walk away from the computer. It was really a little test for myself.

Thank heaven for Netflix and a new season of Celebrity Rehab ~ because I had no idea what to do with myself. Hanna was off doing her own thing, and the house got fairly clean, the laundry got done, and here I am not sitting at my computer… not working.

I had no clue who I was in those moments…

It’s easy to see, especially when you work outside the home, how your work can define you ~ what do you do… oh I am a __________ (fill in the blank). When I’m not sitting at my desk working or pretending to work, I’m suddenly lost.

Now I’m not saying sitting around watching Celebrity Rehab is a great way to fill the day… but for this week it proved a point, and allowed me to see that my story was not true. My business didn’t fall to pieces when I got up when I wasn’t doing work. My income didn’t drop because I spent less than 10 hours a day on the computer. My ability to write and stay on track did not come crashing down when I had to get up in the middle of my usual “work” time to take Hanna to swim lessons. And you know what… business didn’t crash when I spent hours (way too many hours) this week watching celebrities try to get clean.

There’s an ebb and flow to business that I have been fighting. There are some weeks when I’m super busy. I’ve got new projects getting off the ground, clients to work with, the Kiss Club is hopping. Those are busy weeks (and I love them). Those are the weeks I’m really good at.

However, there are other weeks when things are slow, and my main task is just getting posts written and getting out there to meet people. Those weeks take less time on the computer ~ and yet I insist on maintaining the same busy week schedule.

I’m beginning to realize that I have to go with the ebb ~ as well as with the flow. Take those not so busy weeks to do something fun, to rejuvenate, to relax and recharge, instead of using them as a time to freak out that things are falling apart, beat myself up and make myself sit here in front of a screen doing absolutely nothing.

As this week of ebb comes to a close new project ideas are bubbling to the surface, and I realize part of the fear I have around ebbing times is that I won’t have any more great ideas, (HA) or that if I take some downtime I’ll become this horribly lazy person and never get back on the computer again. (HA). These are both seriously silly stories when I say them out loud… that’s just not who I am.

But the stories are there, and they’ve been a driving factor for quite some time now. I’m really glad I had the courage to lay on the couch and watch those poor celebrities try to get their lives back together ~ because it really ended up helping me get mine back too.

What about you?

What stories are you telling yourself? How are they affecting you? your work? family? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments!

photo credit

We live in the middle of no where, surrounded by wheat fields. We’ve lived here for, gosh, 12 years now?! (wow, this is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place in my whole life!)… anyway, my husband works for one of the local farmers and is trying to start his own farming business.

Land isn’t cheap around here… but we have a little over 3 acres of property. Ryan decided to plant 1 of our acres into corn this year. Not yummy sweet corn, but commodity corn, just like the other farmers. It seemed a little crazy to me quite frankly, to plant one little acre of corn… but it’s a start, and it’s actually been quite a lot of fun.

As with everything, I saw this corn as the perfect opportunity for learning. In fact, I found an entire curriculum online about corn!! We started by learning about seeds, and how they sprout and grow. I am still utterly amazed by the fact an entire 10 or 12 foot corn plant and entire ears of corn comes out of one little tiny corn seed. It really is a miracle.

But I digress… after the corn sprouted and we could finally see it above ground (and yes, we did dig up kernels a couple times to see if they were sprouting ~ and my husband tried to tell me “all the farmers do it” lol). We talked with Hanna about the important elements our corn will need to grow. We put together a chart so we could collect data on our corn through the Summer. We decided to track the date, the height of our corn, how much water it got, and the high temperature for the day. We’ve already seen some interesting things happen when it got really warm. Now every night, after dinner, we go out with our chart and our measuring tape and measure, check the rain gauge, and write down our findings. We usually get the temperature reading off the news or weather.com.

This has been amazing practice for Hanna to learn her numbers (which she’s been struggling with a little), as well as measuring and learning about growing. It was interesting at the last parent teacher conference I had, Hanna’s teacher was talking about how next it would be good to start doing measuring with different things, like blocks, and pencils ~ whatever, just start getting the idea of measuring. I was like “ummm.. we use feet and inches mostly”. She looked a little surprised… but I’m no teacher, and we’re just having fun learning. I don’t know if I’m doing things in the “right order”. but I have also started pulling in what we’re learning with the measuring tape to other things as well.

Here’s where it gets tough for me… I’m a mostly organic gardener. I have a big garden where I grow our food. Unfortunately commodity corn is not really an “organic” crop. Nor is commodity farming an organic endeavor. So I’m in a quandry about what to tell/teach Hanna, about living naturally, taking care of the Earth, and us poisoning it in one acre of our space.

I’m also at a loss, because I can’t really believe that my family is now adding to the overwhelming corn surplus of the world, and contributing to the high fructose corn syrup, GMO, and corn fed beef  industries. That truly appalls me, but what can you do? A farmer has to make a living… and right now corn prices are through the roof. We have watched the movie King Corn together, and we do teach her about making healthy choices when it comes to her food, and what’s good for her body (although my husband and I disagree on some of this as well… including not using food with HFCS in it).

How do you teach your kids what you value when it’s being undermined in your very yard? It’s a tough topic, one that my husband and I go around and around about, and at this point I haven’t found an answer… I’d love to hear how you would tackle this issue, and living with beliefs at both ends of the spectrum in our home.

Have you taken your 10 minutes of “me” time yet today? If not, take a couple minutes to get the kiddos engaged in something, and grab your headphones. It’s time to take 10 minutes for yourself.

This guided meditation video will help you relax. You’ll be amazed how much better 10 minutes can make you feel.

I have found adding meditation ~ in many different forms ~ has really allowed me to relax, get focused and in the end accomplish more than I was before when I was just trying to power through it all.

Here’s one of my favorite meditations ~ it’s a long one, but it’s an excellent way to end the day.

Kelly Howell ~ guided meditation

thanks to notsogoodphotography for this really good shot.

I know I only have 3 hours of silence in the morning. My kiddo’s at school, my husband’s at work. I have 3 hours, and a long list of tasks that need focused attention. It is my first instinct to jump in and get. to. work. However, in the last 6 months or so I’ve started taking some time in the morning, before I get to work to do some centering exercises.  I’ve tried different things and each of them have been positive in their own way.

I’ve noticed when I take 10 or 15 minutes (yeah, that’s all it takes) to get my head on straight before I jump in, the day goes smoother, the work goes quicker, and everything seems easier. It took me a while to let go of those 15 minutes, but I’m finding I’m getting more done by giving myself that time.

Here’s some centering exercises you might try:

• 10 minutes of quiet: I got this idea from Kate Swoboda and her fabulous blog Your Courageous Life. She talks about sitting and just being still. That worked. I used to beat myself up because my monkey brain wouldn’t slow down enough to “meditate” the way I thought meditation “should” be. So when I gave myself permission to just SIT, silently (maybe drinking a cup of coffee), maybe outside, just noticing the sounds, feelings, and smells around me, it was lovely. Very refreshing, and got my day started in a really great way.

• The Life Organizer:  I purchased Jen Louden’s Life Organizer, which is lovely. I would spend 10 to 15 minutes each morning thinking about the questions asked for the day.

• Morning thoughts. There are so many women’s devotional books available. Whether you’re religious or not you can find a book with something inspiring to take 10 minutes in the morning to think about. Starting the day thinking about something positive and inspirational seems to get things started right.

• Get in the vortex: I’m currently using the Abraham Hicks In The Vortex Guided Meditations. This series of meditations by some of my favorite teachers has been wonderful. I love that in the meditation they say there is nothing you have to do, just breath and enjoy. I love that. These meditations have seriously changed how I feel. I’m not getting as irritated as I used to, and I find it easier to let things roll away rather than get wrapped up in them. Fantastic way to start the day. 15 minutes of bliss quite frankly.

It may seem counterproductive to take a portion of the limited time you have available to work to sit down and do one or more of these centering exercises, but the gifts you get in return make the few minutes used totally worth it.

I’d love to hear how you start your day, and how you stay centered to make it a great day. Please, share in the comments.

image credit: Hape_Gera

In the past I’ve done some glasswork, and really enjoyed it. This year my mom came to me with a bowling ball and asked if I could create a gazing ball for a good friend of her’s garden.

I accepted. Didn’t realize how much time and effort it would entail, but just in the nick of time, it’s done.

Here you go, my first gazing ball…

The glass store was out of sealer, so I’ll have to pick some up after the new year, and run over and seal it for the her. But I think it came out really nice.

Don’t break my door down for a gazing ball though… that may be my first and last.

As a work at home mom I’ve noticed over the years that I have this crazy idea ~

If I at least appear to be working I will make more money.

It really is crazy, because it’s not true at all. I was recently listening to an audio within the Blog Mastermind course about the 80/20 rule.  A rule I’ve been familiar with in association with other things, but never related it to my life or my business; until now.

What is the 80/20 rule?

The 80/20 rule goes like this; a small portion (20%) of  something creates a large portion (80%) of the results. This works in just about every area of life and business when you really think about it.

• America uses 80% or the worlds oil, but only has 20% of the world’s population.

• In a membership site 20% or your members will ask 80% of the questions.

• In network marketing 20% or your organization will produce 80% of your income.

• In my business 20% of my actions create 80% of my results.

So why on earth am I spinning my wheels, wasting time, looking busy with the other 60% of crap I am doing during the day?

It’s a good question.

It’s a question I think I need to look at because it goes way deeper than just busy work. This is where  beliefs rest, and some of those beliefs are probably not serving me, and maybe you, well.

Here’s some things that come up when I think about why I have to be “working” all day.

• If  I’m not working “hard”/”a lot”/”all day” what I’m doing isn’t valuable.

• It takes hard work to make money.

• If I don’t work I don’t make money.
• There’s always something that needs to be done.

• I have to prove that I am working hard to prove that working from home is legitimate.

WOW ~ who knew all that was in there?

What to do now?

I think some serious tapping (EFT) is in order.  I think tapping on each of those beliefs will help to clear them out and make it a little easier to apply the 80/20 rule in my life.

I will also use Zpoint when I notice I am sitting at the computer “working” but not engaging in the 20% activities.

How to implement the 80/20 rule in your WAHM life.

1. Identify the activities that bring you the most bang for your buck.

This may be difficult if you’ve been keeping busy for a long time, but this is crucial.  You may need to really strip away all the layers and get down to the very basics.

The basics of my business ~ blogging/writing ~ is content and marketing.

2.  Figure out your most productive activities

When you break things down to the basics you will see there are some specific activities that give you the most bang for your buck. For me it is writing blog posts/articles and for the marketing element I have identified 3 distinct activities I can do to market my business each day.

What activities can you do that will give you the most bang for your buck? I can almost guarantee it isn’t checking email every 5 minutes. lol (yeah, I’m guilty too)

3.  Batch process everything you can.

This comes from Timothy Ferriss’ book The 4 Hour Work Week, and when I can implement this it makes all the difference in my day.  Very quickly batch processing is about doing one thing at a time. If you have to answer email ~ wait and do it all one time a day. If you want to reply to forums, wait and do them all at one time. If you want to write articles, buckle down and do them all at one time. This focused energy will create a lot more time in your day, and a lot less “busy” work that is often times procrastination.

4. Make some plans for the rest of your day.

I find it really easy to keep sitting at the computer all day long if I don’t have something else planned to do. I’m beginning to plan craft projects in the afternoon for Hanna and I to do, so I will have something else on my schedule to help get up me up and away from the computer.

5. Be flexible.

This one is tough for me, I want my day to go in a certain order, and it rarely does, but now that I know what my 20% activities are I can finish one, and then jump into the next one when the ruckus has died down.  This flexibility also allows me room to follow my inspiration which also make the day go much smoother.

Creating Balance with the 80/20 rule

Implementing the 80/20 rule in my business is opening up more time to do other things that need to be done. It’s giving me the space to do the work that needs to be done, but let go of having to “work” all day. This is giving me the space to create a lot more balance in my life ~ at least giving me the opportunity to create the balance

Do you use the 80/20 rule in your business life? I’d love to hear how it helps you create more balance in your life.

My day was not off to a good start. I’m sore as hell from my workouts, my daughter is screaming about everything, and then my husband got up and decided it was a good time to tell me how I’m not being consistent enough and my daughter is “out of control”.

After bursting into tears I decided to get the hell out of dodge, put my clothes and sneakers on and went for a “run”. I love saying I’m going for a run. How’s he going to object? He’s all about me exercising more, so it’s a great way to get out of the house for a bit. It’s fun to say “run” but the reality is it’s way more walk than run lol.

Anyway ~ while I was on my run this morning I started thinking about what he said, and thought about consistency and how it fits in with me living a life in balance. I started to realize he was pretty right, and how part of what I want as a balanced life is to be able to have consistent responses.

Growing up, and even still,  you never know how my mom’s going to react to anything. Waking her up is a prime example. If you wake her up, she screams because she wanted to sleep, but if you let her sleep she screams that you should have woken her up. You can’t win for losing.  Some days with her, you say something and she lashes out, another day you say the same thing and she is all smiles and laughter. It’s very confusing. I personally don’t want to be that way with my daughter. So I can see how consistency really plays a part in that.

So why am I so inconsistent with her?

Time:

She frequently acts up while I’m in the middle of something. I don’t want to break my train of thought so I let it slide.

I’m exhausted:

I’m tired of dealing with one thing after another so I just let some things I probably shouldn’t slide.

Gentle Parenting:

I’ve read so many “gentle parenting” books that I’m afraid I’m giong to scar her for life by disciplining her in anything other than the most gentle manner.

For example, part of the discussion with my husband this morning was him saying “you just need to spank her every time she does something she’s not supposed to do. Every time. Nothing else has worked, going to her room, time out and everything else you’ve tried ~ just doesn’t work. Just spank her, it works.”

Here’s the deal with that ~ 1. most of those other things did work when I was being seriously consistent about it.  2. I don’t want to spank my kid. I was spanked as a kid and I don’t remember what it was I did wrong, I just remember having to pick the belt I was going to get beat with. Yes, I probably did tow the line for fear of getting beat, but I don’t want to parent out of fear.

However ~ it does seem to work. So I guess there is a lot of confusion in ME about what/how I want to approach things, which makes it really difficult to be consistent.

When you’re running, your mind kind of wanders ~ which is a good thing. You start thinking about how one thing affects everything, and today was the same.

I started thinking about consistency in other areas I want to find balance in. I notice when I consistently do small things every day the house stays way cleaner, and I don’t have to spend a whole day/week cleaning it when someone’s coming over.

When I work out consistently over time I feel better, I lose weight.

When I make better choices in the food I eat consistently, over time it is much easier to choose healthier options, I feel better, I lose weight.

Consistency is an issue for me. I really WANT to be consistent, there’s just so many things going on, and I find it difficult to be consistent with EVERYTHING long term.

What am I going to do about this?

Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take some baby steps. I’m going to choose some things I really feel I need to be consistent about. I’m going to work on being consistent with those specific things over the next month. Then hopefully at that point it will be a “habit” and I won’t need to think about it so much and I can add some more things in a month.

1. Hanna spitting ~ she’s been spitting at me/dogs/hubby/floor for a while now and it’s just not acceptable.

She will be given 1 warning, and then she will go to the time out chair for 3 minutes.

2. Swish and swipe ~ a quick swish of the toilet and a swipe of the counters in the bathroom every morning when I’m done showering.

3. Empty the dishwasher every morning after breakfast.

4. Work out at least some 6 days a week.

5. Take time for myself ~ even if it’s only 5 minutes every day.

I’m sure there are more things that I need to be consistent with Hanna about, but right now they aren’t coming to mind.

Part of the problem is she is very defiant ~ but I think that’s part of being 3. I’m not really sure how to deal with the defiance, if it’s something I need to battle with now ~ and if I don’t will it just balloon as she gets older. I just don’t know ~ this is the first time I’ve done this. I want her to be an independant thinker, and not just do as people tell her when she grows up ~ but I’m not sure how that translates when she’s three.

I can definitely see how consistency is a huge part of living a life in balance. I’m going to be more consistent with these 5 things over the next month. I’ll let you know how things change as I go. I’m open to comments/suggestions please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

It recently occurred to me that trying to move toward a life in balance without really knowing what that means to me is kind of like wanting to go to Brooklyn, but only deciding to go to the East Coast.  I think it is going to take a crystal clear vision of what a life in balance looks like for me to be able to get there.  If I don’t know exactly what it means to me it will be very hard to make adjustments along the way to make sure I’m still heading in the right direction.  I’m sure a life in balance may look very different to you, but today I’m going to outline what I vision my life in balance to be.

My vision for a life in balance.

I am calm and filled with peace. Each area of my life receives more than enough attention and time so that I don’t feel I’m neglecting any part of my life, spirit, soul.

What does that really mean?

I am calm and filled with peace.

I am easily able to handle bumps in the road in a calm and peaceful manner. Life’s little ups and down no longer throw me for a loop.  I am able to handle all situations calmly without losing my temper. I can easily feel joy and love living a life filled with joy and serenity.

Each area of my life receives more than enough attention. . .

Myself:

I find more than enough time to pamper and love myself. I enjoy my favorite activities, both with my family and alone. I find time to enjoy the silence, meditate, read, and all the other things I enjoy.

Wife:

I find time to spend time with my husband one on one. We are able to find time to spend together as a family that is fun and relaxing.

Mom:

I find time to do fun things with Hanna regularly. I enjoy spending one on one adventure, learning time with her on a daily basis.

I am able to respond to her with love and kindness in all sitautions.

Daughter:

I am able to say no to my mom when it’s necessary. I am able to spend time with my mom while staying positive and peaceful. I am able to let go of past hurts and enjoy her for who she really is.

Household responsibilities:

My home is in good working order and I am no longer suffering in CHAOS (can’t have anyone over syndrome). Rooms are neat and tidy ~ perfectionism does not stand in my way. It is ok for things to be done ~ even if they’re not done perfectly.

Sex:

My husband and I find time to spend together. We have a loving, generous, caring sexual relationship.

Gardener:

I  find time to spend enjoying my garden, weeding, planting, harvesting, watering. I allow myself to spend the time in the garden and enjoy it.

Work:

I spend time doing the activiities that are the most productive. Time wasters have been eliminated. I allow myself to walk away from work when work is done and feel good for what I have accomplished.

Body:

I make conscious choices to eat things that nourish my body and eat until I’m satisfied. I trust my body that it knows what it wants/needs. I listen to my body and allow it to lead the way when it comes to making choices about food.

I also find ways to move more, and get fit. I look for things to participate in like bike rides, and a triathalon to help stay motivated and give me something to work toward. I feel good that my attitude toward fitness and health sets a great example for my daughter. I set an example, not only through my words, but my actions as well.

Thinking:

I let go of all or nothing thinking, and I’m able to be flexible when making decisions. I have let go of judgement and I’m able to accept people as they are.

How’s all this gonna happen?

Good question ~ I’m not sure. However, since I’ve set these intentions resources have already started showing up.  I’ve been drawn to programs and resources that are helping my vision become my reality. That’s really exciting. Here are a couple of things I’m currently drawn to.

FlyLady ~

Flylady is helping me get control of my house. She is also helping me let go of perfectionism and all or nothing thinking.  Taking baby steps, creating routines so simple things become habits.  She’s helping me remember it’s better to something ~ 5 or 15 minutes of something than nothing at all. This is a huge lesson for me, and is already helping me move forward in a number of areas.

Power90 ~

I’ve started working out with power90 ~ the dvd has been laying around my house for probably 5 years now. I’m actually hitting play now, and feeling good about it. Hanna enjoys working out with me as well.

I’ve also decided to do a 35 mile bike ride on September 27. I’m hoping I can get enough training in to be ready in two months.  One small glitch, I got my bike out and it is in bad shape. I’m gonna need a new bike. I saw on Nightline last night a place where they sell Police Seized items, auction style, so maybe I can get one there cheap.  (see resources keep showing up)

Everyday Bliss for Busy Women I picked up this book last week and it is helping immensely! It has introduced me to some amazing energy therapies I was not aware of. I have been using EFT, but this also teaches Zpoint, as well as TAT. I am finding it quite helpful to incorporate these energy therapies into my day to let go a lot of the blocks I find in life.

That’s what I’ve got now ~ but I’m sure as more things surface more resources will as well. I am looking forward to the journey and feel like I’m on the right track with a clear vision of where I’m going.

I’d love to hear what your vision of a life in balance looks like. Please feel free to leave comments below.

Thriving is as natural as breathing itself. By relaxing often and breathing deeply, your natural thriving is enhanced.

Abraham-Hicks

Thriving is as natural as breathing ~ I’m breathing that one in for a minute.

I look at my life and I wonder if it’s true. I look at Hanna and know it must be.  I mean jeez ~ 3 years ago she was this little tiny 6 pound bundle ~ Now she is this beautiful blue eyed, blonde haired 26 lb individual. She thrives ~ it takes no effort on her part (or mine for that matter), she just thrives. She learns every day, she grows (emotionally and physically) every day and minus random temper tantrums she is in good spirits moving through this world.

Me on the other hand ~ thriving takes work ~ it takes remembering ~ it takes work ~ what happen to it just being natural? I think over the years we gather/collect thoughts/beliefs that stand in the way of our thriving. It’s those beliefs and thoughts that make us forget that thriving is natural. I think the real work in this is to REMEMBER that thriving is as natural as breathing.

I think breathing ~ might be part of that remembering lol. Sometimes it takes some effort to remember to breathe. And when I remember it’s amazing how restorative breath can be.

So if thriving is as natural as breathing ~ and relaxing and breathing deeply enhance my natural thriving it would be logical to think that taking more time to relax and breath deeply would lead to more thriving (both emotionally and monetarily) I would imagine.

Soooo. . . let’s assume for a moment this is true ~ that would mean that all this go go go mentality I have so effectively fostered all these years is probably counter productive to my natural thriving.  It still confuses/confounds me ~ how I can achieve more by doing less. This is a pretty big belief I’ve got going on. Although I have seen glimpses of the truth in this thought when I really focus on taking more time to breath and relax, I easily fall back into old habits only to realize what I’ve done months later.

I think this is a topic that deserves some tapping.  I’m gonna go tap tap tap. . . feel free to leave your thoughts. It’s an incredible journey and I love support/feedback.

PS. I’m also thinking about joining Bob Doyle’s Weath Beyond Reason program ~ I would love any feedback from those of you who have taken it.

Last night I was thinking about what it means to me to “live a life in balance”. I started thinking about the times I feel most in balance and when I feel most out of balance. I began to realize just how much the dichotomy of life plays a part in my feeling of balance.

Everything about life is a dichotomy ~ and as an “all or nothing” thinker I tend to swing from one end to the other.

Fat ~ Skinny
Happy ~ Mad
Sacred ~ Mundane
Scheduled ~ Free Flying
Strict ~ Liberal
holding a grudge ~ forgiving easily
Love ~ hate
self love ~ beating myself up

and I could go on and on. It’s this dichotomy and my tendency to live in a state of either or that I believe leaves me in a life out of balance.

It seems like a natural conclusion that living in the middle of the dichotomy would lead me naturally and easily to a life in balance.  Seems obvious ~ but how the hell do you do that??

Or is it really living in the middle that creates balance or is it choosing the “best” end of the dichotomy and living on that end more often than not?

I mean let’s take fat vs. skinny.

Is being medium chunky the key to living a life in balance or is it really about choosing to be skinny (or fat) and moving to BE that all the time?  I guess what I’m asking is it the wavering on decisions, lack of confidence in what I want to BE have and do, that leads to imbalance ~ or is it really about living in the middle?

Hmmm…

I thought I knew what I was talking about when I started this post, now I have no frickin’ idea.  I thought it was going to be all about living in the middle ~ but now I’m not really sure that’s where it’s at at all.

honest vs. Deceitful

Do I really want to live in the middle? Do I wanna lie sometimes? Or be honest with others and just dishonest with myself as a middle ground?

Does that breed balance?

hmm…

I’m thinking that being honest ALL the time is really where I want to be living, but the times I’m living in the other end of the dichotomy is when I feel out of balance.

OHHH ~

Maybe life in balance is really about BEING who you REALLY are.

The times I feel out of balance is when I step away from WHO I REALLY AM.  So maybe it’s not about the dichotomy at all, maybe it’s about turning inward, and being open to realizing who I really am, at my inner core of spirit.

Abraham recommends using your emotions as a guidance system. When you’re getting off track you will know because you will have “negative emotion”. I know this in my head, but I keep thinking “ack, checking in with my feelings isn’t getting any work done” lol. Checking in with my feelings could feel like a waste of time, but I guess it would depend on what the “goal” of life is. If my goal is to live a life in balance, then checking in with my feelings, and trying to redirect myself back to feeling good would be my #1 tool to achieve the goal of balance.

So for example ~ If honest is really WHO I am at a spiritual level, I feel yucky when I know I’m not being honest (with myself or others). It is that yucky feeling that signals me that I’m not being/doing who I really am, and shows me I need to realign myself/actions back to center (center being honest in all action and deeds).

Well this has really moved me in a direction that I wasn’t anticipating, so I’m going to have to chew on this for a bit. I’d love to hear your thoughts ~ do you feel like you’re living a life in balance? What would balance in life look like to you?

I’ll be back ~