Balance is something that is often mentioned in personal development and well-being circles. It is said you should eat a balanced diet, live a balanced life and seek a good work/family balance. But what is balance? What does it mean to live a balanced life and why does balance seem like such an elusive concept?

“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: And this, too, shall pass away.” – Abraham Lincoln

Life really is one thing after another. The physical environment we each live in is in constant streaming flux. Physically when it’s cold we shiver to bring our body temperature up. When it’s hot we sweat to bring our body temperature down. As living organisms we live in a constantly changing environment. Our bodies are well adapted to this state of affairs and respond appropriately when conditions deviate from their optimal state. This ability of an organism to maintain equilibrium (balance) by adjusting appropriately to the external environment is known as homeostasis.

And there in lies the key to understanding balance. Balance is the taking of appropriate action when circumstances dictate so as to maintain equilibrium. It is said that the great achievement of the sages of old was the achievement of great balance as human beings. How did they achieve great balance? In the present moment, when things would come up, they would respond accordingly.

“There is no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves.” – Frank Herbert

When it comes to a concept or principle such as balance it is important to understand that between different people and even from moment to moment the locus of balance is always going to be different. For example, what constitutes a balanced diet for one person may be completely different for another. Both diets may be very healthy in their own right but it is the context of the individual that makes them so. This is probably the key reason for so much disagreement and confusion in the field of nutrition. There is no one size fits all. No mass-producible solution. A difficult business model indeed and so another diet book comes off the press and another wonder product hits the shelves.

“Food is an important part of a balanced diet.” – Fran Lebowitz

Finding a sense of balance and harmony at some point in any aspect of life will soon turn to disharmony and loss of balance if you try to hold on and freeze that moment forever. Such action is futile and will only lead to pain and your own suffering. The only constant is change. The waves come in, break and recede. Then they roll on in again. Instead of fighting and being tumbled painfully ashore, feel the waves coming and ride them out.

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton

About the writer: This article was written by Stephen Cox. Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing.

Would you like to become more productive by doing less? Would you like to be capable of solving complex problems with sudden bursts of insight? Would you like to learn how to apply consistent effort to complete the most daunting of tasks? Great! Do a jigsaw puzzle.

Wait…What?

Recently, on a whim I purchased a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. I’d never completed a jigsaw puzzle before but I do enjoy all manner of mental stimulation. Interestingly the experience turned out to be unexpectedly instructive. As the pieces came together over the next couple of days the process of joining 1,000 pieces just so revealed a number of important lessons in productivity and the power of perspective and consistent effort.

Increase Your Productivity by Taking Breaks

As pieces of the puzzle began to come together there were times where I was engrossed for hours on end. The going was easy and the time spent productive. But then, suddenly I would hit a wall. No piece could be made to fit and for the life of me I couldn’t see where certain pieces should go.

At times such as these there may be a tendency to push doggedly on. You might want to keep at it until a breakthrough is somehow forced. Unfortunately the reward for such determination is more often frustration, stress and wasted time then success. Instead take a break from the task.

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” – Ovid

Get up and out of the environment and allow your mind to clear. You’ll return refreshed, motivated and most importantly with fresh perspective. So armed, the pieces of the puzzle (metaphorically speaking) will soon fall together. You will achieve much more while using a smaller amount of energy and effort.

Finally, to be productive, instead of attempting to multitask, focus on one task at a time. Multitasking serves only to reduce focus so you accomplish more things slower and make more mistakes. Mistakes mean you’ll have to redo the task and so reduce your productivity even further.

The Power of Perspective

Much of the improvement in productivity that comes from taking a break comes as a result of the fresh perspective produced as a result going away and letting your mind clear. At times while staring at the many scattered pieces of the puzzle progress seemed unlikely. Then the next day while walking pass the table where the jigsaw puzzle in progress sat obvious connections would leap out at me and once again the pieces would fly into place with ease.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is perspective, not the truth.” – Marcus Aurelius

Perspective is one of the most powerful forces in the world and in our lives. The perspective you take, by conscious choice or otherwise, largely determines the nature and quality of your life. See difficulty and you life will be difficult. See opportunities and possibilities and you life will be constantly interesting. Life will be filled with excitement and unbounded experience.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

Sometimes we find ourselves banging our head up against a wall. Nothing seems to be working and everywhere we turn our path forward appears blocked. At such times simply relaxing and letting things be for a time serves to give our conscious minds a break from matters.

Meanwhile the subconscious mind is working diligently away at the problem. Within a short space of time new events occur and the situation shifts. Doors that were previously locked are suddenly wide open and new doors we previously hadn’t known existed appear. The doors may have always been there. Only now our perspective has changed.

Consistent Effort Leads to Achievement

Famously it was said that a journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step. After that first step comes another step. And another. All the way to the final destination 10,000 miles away.

1,000 pieces of a jigsaw puzzle looks like a lot when you have them all loosely spread out in front of you in one big mess. However connecting one piece to another is a simple task requiring just a moment to achieve. This idea of chunking things down into smaller things that we can easily do now and consistently over time is applicable to all manner of goals.

When I was studying at university one way I kept up consistent effort was by realizing that reading just one sentence of the reading for the week carried me closer to completing my degree. Just one paragraph. Just a page. Hardly a daunting task. This reveals the truth about monumental undertakings. They are simply a massive amount of small tasks combined. Do one today and do another tomorrow. Soon great progress is made and eventually the task is complete.

On Jigsaws and Life

More often then not the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is your life will come together in a manner beyond your currently ability to imagine. Be concerned if you wish so that you take appropriate action. However, do not worry. Temper consistent effort with time out. Apply movement and stillness at the appropriate time. Seek and allow for fresh perspectives both from within yourself and from exterior sources. Remember that jigsaw puzzles are made to be pulled apart. Most important of all, relax and learn to let go. The right pieces will come together at the right time. It’ll all work out.

This article was written by Stephen Cox. Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing.

What do you want to be when you grow up? For some it may be a disturbing notion to consider that even in our late twenties, thirties and beyond we may still find ourselves asking this question of ourselves. Before I was ten years old I knew with naïve assurance what it was I wanted to do with my life. By the time I was twenty I was well established in the career I had decided on ten years before. Shortly after, life came along and swept the board clean.

If you can decide on a long-term career goal having it ahead of you can be a source of comfort and certainty that you can draw on. Knowing what you want to be when you grow up can serve as an anchor point in life. You know where you are and you know where you’re going. You know what needs to be done and have a plan for how to go about doing it.

On the other hand, indecision and uncertainty when it comes to deciding which career path to choose, which job to take or what training to pursue can become burdensome. Some may feel without a well-defined path to tread throughout their working life that they are at sea without an anchor. Simply drifting along to nowhere in particular. Achieving nothing in particular.

And that’s just what to do during work hours.

Life is incredibly complex. It is filled with infinite possibilities limited only by our creative ability and courage. Do you perhaps want a family and to buy a house? Or do you want to travel, see the world and meet all manner of different people? Both? Would you like to start a business? Or perhaps you would like to disappear into the rural hills on your own quiet little self-sufficient farm? Learn a martial art? Learn to paint and draw? Meditate every day? Write a novel?

In fact you might have an inkling that you would somehow like to do all of the above. With so many possibilities you’re going to need to…

Prioritize

The wealth of possibility available to us can at times be as paralyzing as having no clue whatsoever. The first step is surely to bring some order to the multitude of pursuits, interests and potential life paths you can envisage yourself enjoying. If you’re currently free and unattached then you’ll have a broader scope of possibility available. If you’re at a time in your life where you have responsibilities and obligations the possibilities open to you must be considered in light of those.

That certainly does not mean you should cast aside any of your dreams. Part of being creative is being able to find a creative solution that encompasses both achieving what you wish with your life while still fulfilling your responsibilities.

I see this process much like brainstorming. First you while free of any judgment brainstorm all the potential solutions and write them all down. Only then do you begin to prioritize. How though to prioritize? Well, first you need some…

Perspective

Perspective rules the world. Your perspective is your world. The person who has never left the small town they were born in has limited perspective. A person who lives their life with little consideration of the nature of finite physical existence lives a life lacking perspective.

Many people who have a near brush with death return from the experience with a fresh set of priorities. They live their life differently afterwards. For one thing material possessions reduce in meaning while love, compassion, companionship and enjoying the simple priceless thing of daily life to the full becomes much more important.

Before you prioritize make sure you take the time to ensure your perspective is as broad and clear as possible. Reflect on your life so far and listen to how that makes you feel. Imagine the things that will matter when you’re old and you’re looking back on your life.

Now it’s time for you to…

Experiment

Life is not an intellectual debate, as much as some people would like it to be otherwise. Life is something you do. It is something that happens. We are be-ings. Get out and be in your life. Run small-scale experiments to give you come idea what a course of action would feel like if you did it full-time and for real.

For example, if you’re considering that maybe teaching something you love such as martial arts may be the life for you try it on first. Start assisting your sifu, sensei or coach and then see how you feel about it. You might discover that teaching is far removed from what you really love about martial arts, which may be training yourself. Or you might find that you have an aptitude and a love for teaching others and that teaching only deepens your art.

You won’t know until you get out there and try. Until you do the life you’re leading is a life of pointless speculation. Choose a potential course of action, test the waters and pursue or discard depending on the outcome. Whatever happens be sure to keep in mind…

The Nature of Life

Despite the best-laid plans and intentions it is the nature of things that they change. Life is not a static thing that conforms to our will. It is more like music that we must sway to else be broken. Remember, life is one gigantic possibility. When hardship, impassible barriers and unforeseen circumstances come your way old doors are closing. If that’s the way it is then let them close. It’s your job to find the new doors that just opened.

This article was written by Stephen Cox. Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing.

“I did not discover relativity by rational thinking alone.” – Albert Einstein

Image courtesy of Alicepopkorn

Creativity is the vehicle by which we achieve much in life. We are often creative when we resolve business negotiations, when we solve problems, when we somehow organize a group of friends to all meet together for a night out, when we cook a meal and when we experience new spiritual insights. Creativity can be a great source of joy for us. It opens up new possibilities and allows us to make sudden leaps in many different aspects of our lives.

Creativity extends far beyond limited disciplines such as the fine arts of drawing, painting, sculpting, literature and music. To limit one’s notion of creativity would in itself be decidedly uncreative. The scope of creative activity is practically infinite.

What is Creativity?

Creativity can be defined as the discovery of new meaning or a new context of thinking. Notice how this definition is purely non-material. Creativity is something that happens within consciousness and only afterwards does the product of creativity eventually become manifest in material reality. As conscious human beings we are each potentially powerful forces of creation.

Creativity usually finds expression in a product. There are two key modes of creative expression. The more commonly recognized mode is outer creativity. Examples of outer creativity are art, music, literature, and new laws of science. The less commonly recognized mode of creative expression is inner creativity. It is also much more subtle. Examples include a happier and more holistic way of being, the transformation of the contexts in which we live, becoming more loving in one’s life and placing less conditions upon that love.

Thus creativity is immensely important in the process of further self-development. For example the very name of a particular form of Buddhist meditation is Insight Meditation. The aim of this type of meditation is to uncover insights into the nature of reality. The resultant “Aha!” moments of inner creativity are an immensely powerful impetus for personal growth and development.

What is the Creative Process?

Amit Goswami, in his fantastic book – The Visionary Window: A Quantum Physicist’s Guide to Enlightenment – shares some very interesting thoughts on the nature of creativity. Goswami is a theoretical nuclear physicist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon. He appeared in the popular movie What the Bleep Do We Know?

In his book Goswami explains that all creativity occurs in a process of four stages. First is preparation. This may include gathering all available data regarding a particular issue. Second is incubation or unconscious processing. This allows the unconscious to process thoughts without collapsing them. That is, allowing thoughts to spread in possibility and thus give one many more options from which to choose.

Third is the moment of insight, or the “Aha!” experience. This represents a discontinuous quantum leap in thought, the collapse of the quantum wave function to a creative solution when consciousness selects from among the propagated possibilities. The final stage is manifestation. The new creative insight is expressed in the lived life.

How Can We Become More Creative?

As I mentioned at the beginning creativity is a powerful force in our lives. It is through creativity that we can achieve what it is we want in life. However, there will always be roadblocks on the path to our dreams. If we do not posses the necessary persistence to avoid despair we will give up. We will fail to take the time to allow our unconscious to process possible solutions to the roadblocks.

This is important because quantum physics tells us that it is consciousness that will collapse any single solution. The more time we give ourselves to allow possibilities to propagate the further along the possible paths of solution our unconscious can travel. The further our unconscious travels the more creatively discontinuous the solution. To be able to do this we need to be both totally committed to our dreams and calm.

Calmness allows for the exercise of free will to select from the multitude of possibilities in the quantum wave of pure potential. In calmness there is a slowing down and a shifting of consciousness away from immediate local signals. This allows our consciousness to expand and the gap between thought and action increases. A freer exercise of choice and thus creativity becomes possible.

Meditation is one way we can deepen our sense of calmness and openness to life. A consistent meditation practice will begin to manifest many positive effects in day-to-day life. During meditation practice sessions one regularly enters into states of deep calm. In this way we can learn to remain calm in the face of day-to-day stresses outside of our meditation practice.

Openness is the image of Heaven.
Calm is the image of earth.
When open, one accepts all.
When calm, one perceives all.
When open, one can accept people.
When calm, one can deal with events.
When openness and calm are practiced for a long time,
Our heart is clear.
Open acceptance and calm is how Sages achieved,
The Tao of Heaven and Earth.
- The Book of Balance & Harmony, Li Tao-ch’un, 12th century

What are your thoughts on creativity? Please share them in the comments below.

This article was written by Stephen Cox. Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing.

It is a common occurrence when someone is trying to take a step up in terms of their diet or exercise regime for unexpected saboteurs to appear. Most often the source of the sabotage is those who we had expected the greatest support from. This includes our partner, our mother or our best friend. Usually they do have our best interests at heart. Regardless, they often advise against what may appear to them to be an extreme or unusual path that we have chosen.

The result of this sabotage is doubt. We begin to question our own decisions. Perhaps I shouldn’t push myself quite so hard when I exercise. Maybe it is ok to break out of my dietary plan every now and again. Do I really want to continue with this fast? I’ve seen it happen and experienced it myself on numerous occasions. The disapproval of others, particularly those closest to us, however misguided and uninformed, can take the wind right out of our sails.

While this issue rears its head most often along the path of physical health it is also not uncommon on the journey of personal development. If you have experienced this problem you should know that you are neither alone nor is it a new problem. The ancient philosophers in their love of wisdom (the definition of philosophy) observed its occurrence in their own time.

It was Epictetus who said, “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.” This is because many people are simply being swept along with the flow and the direction of the flow is dictated by popular opinion and “common” sense. Alain de Botton in his book The Consolations of Philosophy elegantly stated that, “the approval of others often forms an essential part of our capacity to think we are right.”

Personal development and growth often does not fit so well into the mold of consumerism, materialism and rat race work ethic that is currently prevalent in society. Quit your secure 9 – 5 job for something that pays less, is more work and looks risky and others will not only think you’re crazy, they’ll tell you so as well.

You may have realized that the pay’s good but the secure job is meaningless because it doesn’t fit your core values. Really it is a vampire that has got you by the neck and is gleefully sucking your soul dry. It’s probably the same for most of the people you work with. Just they don’t have the courage to do anything about it.

Many people resist, mistrust and fear both change and journeying into the unknown. The journey of personal development requires us to embrace change. Growth and change are at the very heart of what we are trying to achieve. Hunter Thompson once asked: “Who is the happier man? He who braved the stormy sea of life and survived? Or he who stayed securely on the shore and merely existed?” Because of their own fear the people on the shore often try to stop those who want to live the real adventure of life out on the ocean.

What you should keep in mind when others knowingly or unknowingly throw up barriers to your progress is that we are each completely responsible for ourselves. It is no use blaming others for your failure to take action and follow through on what you knew in your heart was right. It is your life and however you might like to shift the blame it is you who has to live it.

Socrates, possibly the most famous philosopher of all time, spent his life questioning what was held to be common sense. Socrates concluded that a correct point of view cannot be determined as such simply by whether it is held by a majority, or believed for a long time by influential people. That said you should know that the opinion of the majority being equal to truth is deeply ingrained into western culture. This conditioning dates all the way back to the democratic society of ancient Greece. Democracy is majority rule.

So as you continue to grow and change those currently close to you may begin to resent you and feel like they can no longer understand you. You should be prepared for this and know that it is okay. If it becomes necessary let go of your relationship with love and gratitude for their friendship and move on. Don’t fall into the trap of returning resentment with resentment. This will only drag your energy back down from the level you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Instead consider how they suffer from their own fear and mental disquiet and feel compassion for them. At some point it is likely that you were in their position.

This post was written by Stephen Cox of Balanced Existence.

Many of us feel we could do with more sleep. However, the demands of modern life make this dream largely impossible. But there is an alternative. Instead of always wishing we could have time for just a little more sleep, we can improve the quality of what sleep we do get.

The following are my tips for ensuring you get the very best quality sleep possible.

Sleep in Complete Darkness

Think cave, the night refuge of prehistoric humans. Our bodies are physiologically adapted to certain environmental circumstances and our physiology has not changed in close to 100,000 years. Essentially that means you are running around in a caveman or cavewoman’s body. Which also means you body is made to sleep in complete darkness.

It has been shown through scientific research that the release of melatonin is light sensitive. Light inhibits melatonin release whenever it touches skin but the eyes are especially important. Even as much light as produced by a single candle has an effect of reducing nighttime melatonin release. These days melatonin is sold as a sleep aid. But why buy and take a synthetic chemical when you can make your own, all natural, melatonin?

It may also interest you to know that melatonin is the single most potent antioxidant known to man. Our bodies naturally enjoy a nightly melatonin bath but only if you sleep in complete darkness. You should probably also know that it takes a respectable number of hours of melatonin release before other vital hormones become activated. Some of these hormones are needed by your immune system to produce T-cells and killer cells that help you fight off cancer and disease. Sounds important, doesn’t it?

Therefore, when you sleep ensure it is dark enough that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. You will also benefit from turning the lights down a couple of hours before going to bed. This will effectively wind your body down much like dusk naturally would.

Avoid Stimulants

Energy from caffeine and refined sugar in processed food is fake energy to begin with. However, it might surprise you that your coffee can cause sleep quality problems up to 12 hours after your last cup. If you must have coffee to help you through the day then don’t have any after lunch. You don’t actually really need it anyway but that is a whole other article. Nicotine is also a stimulant, which will interfere with the quality of your sleep. Smokers can also experience withdrawals during the night, which will mess with your much-needed sleep.

Finally, although it isn’t a stimulant, alcohol also reduces overall quality of sleep. So you might want to rethink that nightcap. Alcohol is also a diuretic which means consumption before bed will increase your likelihood of becoming dehydrated during the night. Sleep is for recovery from the rigors of the day. Being dehydrated while sleeping is obviously not going to result in optimum recovery. More to the point once dehydrated your body acts as if it is experiencing stress. If your body is stressed it produces stress hormones such as Cortisol, which are awakening hormones. Obviously that isn’t going to help your quality of sleep.

Have an Optimal Sleeping Environment

I’ve already touched on sleeping in complete darkness. That is such a biggie that it deserved to be a point on its own. However there are a number of other beneficial things you can do to your sleeping environment that will improve your quality of sleep. This might sounds obvious but do what you can to keep the noise level down. That means turn that television off. Too many people fall asleep with the television on. The sound and the light from the TV are doing your sleep quality no favors. If you live somewhere where there is outside noise such as from traffic then take action to mask it. In my personal experience a fan is perfect. I actually sleep with a fan year round but soothing recordings of natural sounds such as waves or rain will also do.

Another reason a fan is good, even in winter, is it keeps the air moving and fresh. Again think cave. Optimal sleeping temperature conditions are slightly cool with good ventilation. Next ensure you reserve your bed for just two activities – sleep and sex. If you spend time sitting up in bed making notes for work tomorrow your bed becomes associated with thinking about work. This will make it harder for you to wind down and fall asleep.

Lastly, ensure there are no electrical devices within four feet of you. Electromagnetic radiation is bombarding you every day of your modern life. Don’t add every night to that. Your alarm clock, which is probably right near your head when you sleep, is just one source of electromagnetic radiation. Having your mobile phone on the table next to your bed is another. If you are experiencing poor quality sleep, wake up feeling drained and exhausted, try taking a look around your bedroom. If you find a TV, a sound system, electric alarm clock, an electric blanket, a mobile phone, lamps, dimmer switches, and an overhead fan all within arms reach of where you sleep then you may have just found your answer for your troubles. Make some changes and it is likely that not only your sleep will improve but your general level of health and wellbeing will also.

Get Daily Sunlight Exposure & Exercise

As I’ve mentioned above our bodies are sensitive to light and dark. I’m sure you have noticed that there are natural light dark cycles. It’s called day and night. Light is very influential over our physiology. In response to light your hormonal system naturally releases cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that is released in response to stress. Light is one form of electromagnetic stress. Cortisol release activates the body, preparing it for movement such as combat or flight, whatever is necessary for survival. Thus light helps set your body clock. So when you first wake up open your blinds and get some sunlight or go outside for a few minutes. If you can’t do that turn your lights on. This will stimulate cortisol release and wake you up the way nature intended. You can also see how light at night after the sun has gone down is messing with your body. If work, family and money issues have you stressed don’t add to that through light toxicity. Light toxicity is over exposure to light.

As an aside you actually need about 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight each and every day to get a much-needed dose of vitamin D. That reasonable amount of sunlight is a form of good electromagnetic stress. Vitamin D is proven to help fight cancer, is needed for a healthy immune system and allows for calcium absorption in the gut. You can drink all the milk and eat all the cheese and yogurt you like but without vitamin D your body will not be able to use the calcium contained within those foods.

Finally, regular exercise, aside from the fact that it is good for you, will help you fall asleep at night and enjoy a better quality of sleep. Exercise is best in the morning or spread out during the day as exercising too late in the day has a stimulating effect on the body. A raised body temperature is not conducive to sleep. I’ve personally found stretching, loosening, and range of movement “exercises” helpful for winding down and becoming more relaxed before sleep.

So there you have it. We all want to be healthy and to be healthy requires good quality sleep. If you want to be healthy but don’t feel motivated to do what needs doing to realize that goal then you would benefit from reading my article on how to stop procrastinating, get motivated and achieve. I used the exercise I describe in that article to complete a degree within two years. Previously I had felt nothing but loathing for university studies. All that I have discussed in this article is the product of my own personal health journey. I’ve been forced to learn all about sleep. You see I battled with chronic fatigue and won. You can find my story and exactly how I overcame chronic fatigue on my website.

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This post was written by Stephen Cox of Balanced Existence. Stephen founded Balanced Existence as the medium by which he can positively impact the largest number of people possible. Balanced Existence is a reflection of the philosophy that we should be the change we want to see in the world. By documenting insights produced from his own journey of personal development it is Stephen’s humble wish to aid others, when needed, in their own journey.

Image by Mayr.