Being a Life Balance expert certainly has its drawbacks!
For one thing, everyone expects you to have your life completely in order—and I don’t necessarily think that that’s an unreasonable expectation. I mean, have you ever been introduced to a professional “personal trainer” at the gym and instantly wondered why he hasn’t done something about that beer belly he’s sporting? How about the sales trainer who can’t seem to sell his sales training programs? (And I’m sorry, only in certain situations does the age-old adage “those who can’t do, teach” apply, such as in the case of the septuagenarian ballet instructor!)
Nevertheless, that expectation makes it particularly hard when my life doesn’t feel the way I want it to, which does happen with some regularity, albeit less and less frequently. I have this feeling the whole world is watching me and, worse, judging me.
Interestingly, though, I think the worst part of being a Life Balance expert is what happens when I actually am reflecting the positive results of focused intention and attention to Life Balance: some people seem positively uncomfortable around me! Indeed, as counterintuitive as this might sound, I’m convinced that in a few situations the fact that I seem to have handled Life Balance more than most has actually resulted in my not getting an engagement to help others learn about and achieve Life Balance for themselves.
What gives?
While it has never been my intention to put on airs, I certainly can see how those who aren’t feeling good about their lack of Life Balance might be less than delighted hearing me talk about what I’ve achieved and how I’ve gone about achieving it. And sometimes the last thing they want to hear is that they can do it, too—that all it takes is intention and attention. But, in truth, that’s all I have to offer: that a semblance of Life Balance is achievable and, then, the nitty-gritty of how to go about making it happen.
While I’ve been paying attention to Life Balance in one form or another my entire life, I made a serious commitment when I founded Spirit Employed ten years ago that I was going to operate it within an overall context of Life Balance, and I’ve kept that commitment. (Indeed, the concept is so important to me that it was the kick-off chapter in my first business book, Your Authentic Self: Be Yourself at Work and the entire subject of my second book, Become a Life Balance Master. (For information on acquiring either or both of these books, see the About Us page.)
If you haven’t got balance in your life, I don’t care what else you have, you’re heading for trouble.
If you’re not convinced about the importance of Life Balance, take a look at the longer article immediately below this post, “What’s the Cost of Inattention to Life Balance?”
Have a great day, Ace!