The Subtle Difference Between Balance and Harmony

How often have you told yourself you want more 'balance' in life?

Have you ever thought that you ' should' be doing something or being with someone over what you are doing or being with at that moment? Are you always on in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world? It is an ever-present thought pattern to want more 'balance.'

I know it has been for me in the past. For decades, I felt I needed to always be 'on'. I had to be here, doing that, going there, being with that person or another person. Too often, I felt torn and guilty that I was not doing enough, even though I was doing it all the time! How crazy is that? Constantly second-guessing myself if what I was doing was the best use of my time right then drove me crazy sometimes. Then I realised how crazy it was and decided to stop it. It took me a long time to stop it, and even now, some five years later, it sneaks up on me now and then.

How did I come to this realisation? It was the word itself – balance because it implies that both sides of whatever we do have to be equal. To succeed, one must understand that balance is a fallacy because it means everything is even when little in life is. However, harmony is achievable. Living in harmony frees you from guilt for choosing one activity or person over another. Do and be with what and who lights you up, brings joy, excitement and what you are passionate about. As Mahatma Gandhi reminds us, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

I believe in harmony because very little is in balance, not even nature, though she does a better job of it than us humans. The word balance implies that we spend an equal amount of time in all or most areas of our lives, just like the scales, with an equal weight on one side to balance what is on the other side of the scale. Life is not like that. Balance is an illusion that you may always be chasing but never achieve. Harmony helps you keep the bigger picture in mind to find synergy between what you love to do that lights you up and what you are paid to do. And if you have been focused on your ideal day and are lucky to achieve this, these are the same things.

So, let's go for harmony instead. Striving for harmony allows you to look at life differently. Living in harmony requires us to know what we want to achieve—having a clear purpose and vision for the future that you wish to achieve will enable you to develop your mission statement about how you want to show up every day in life. When I was a very young mum (a long time ago), and life was overwhelming, I sat down one day and wrote out my 'rules' for living. I had not heard the term ‘mission statement’ back then. Those 'rules' are now the foundation for my mission statement about how I live my life, so there are no regrets in my golden years.

Here are a few tips for a life that is in harmony:

Tip #1 - Be present.

Being present means fully engaging with the current moment, being consciously aware of what you are doing, and giving complete attention to what you are experiencing rather than being distracted by thoughts of the past or the future. Choose what you are doing based on your priorities, and then give that all your focus. This is why having goals in business and personal life are so important.

Tip #2 - Make time.

The often-used phrase is, 'I will do (fill in the gap) when I 'have time'. We already have time; it is 24 hours every day, seven days a week, and 52 weeks a year. Our choices alone allow us to make time to do what is important to us. This is why knowing your priorities based on your goals is imperative, so you can give your time to focus on what is important to you.

Tip #3 - Bring synergy.

By creating great habits around how you can integrate these tips into your life, harmony is possible. Great habits will ensure you consistently practice enhancing your ability to bring about the harmony you want, leading to a more profound sense of fulfilment in your daily life. When you are eighty, you will not wish you had spent more time working, and you do not need to be a workaholic to succeed. Be creative about focusing on harmony and finding ideas that work for you. What you focus on is what you will get, so if it is harmony you want, get it!

If you want to create greater harmony in your life, book a   complimentary strategy session,  and we will connect.