Finding Balance

Swine Flu. Bank bailouts. Rising unemployment. The fight over gay marriage. California wildfires. Somalian pirate ships. Shaken babies. Education cuts. Rising taxes. Defecting Republicans.

Seems the things that can get us down get the most attention.

I'm no self-help, positive-attitude guru. Let me assert that disclaimer up front. But, what I am is a guy who struggles to find that balance, or at least try to exist in the same area code.

I think we're all concerned over the future. Gone, it seems, are the halcyon days that most of us enjoyed in childhood. We have requirements of parenting, bill-paying, church and community serving, spousing, and all the other things we do to try and make a life.

Too often forgotten is what Stephen Covey called sharpening the saw. LDS Church founder Joseph Smith called it unstringing the bow. I won't try to add my own version to the lexicon, but I do believe we need substantive detours that allow us a reprieve.

We all ought to create a safe harbor. A place where batteries are recharged, overburdened spirits are rested, and no adversarial or burdensome influence is allowed. We all need at least a little dose of Hakuna Matata.

My last year and a half of in college I had three kids, a demanding church calling, worked more than full-time, and somehow managed to earn 59 credits during that time. How? Balance. I made sure that I had resting periods. I would study for two hours, then take a 15 or 20 minute break doing whatever I wanted -- walking around the library, eating a Snickers bar, napping. I made sure all my school assignments were done when I left the library so when I was home I was husband and father. Those resting periods -- along with some help from above, I'm convinced -- were more valuable than you can imagine.

I'm not sure why I felt inclined to write this today. Maybe it was just for my benefit. Perhaps someone will pull something of value from it. But find brief, regular, healthy, and frequent escapes and you will be able to accomplish more than you know.