1.28.2012

the art of balance

Henri Matisse, the famous French artist, once said, "What I dream of is an art of balance."
I think nowadays I dream of that too. With the kind of life most people lead, it seems that we are trying to find that balance of work and play, friends and family, chores and hobbies.






I think the ultimate balance is being able to do what you love for work, designating time to spend with the people important to you, and enjoying the journey that is made up of every minute of every day of your life. 

Balance is about being there for those in need and helping others. It's about using our God given abilities to bring that spark and joy, not only to our life, but to the lives of others that we may touch along the way. It's about taking adventures and experiencing new places. It's about the scary and unknown mixed with goals and security. It's the line between being driven and hardworking and relaxed and free. All good things lie in balance and the secret to all this is a bit of a mystery. I think managing our time correctly is important so that we don't end up working all the time and miss out on life, or vice versa.

How do you manage to balance your own life? Do some of you find it hard to blog in your busy schedules?

What are your thoughts or secrets on the subject? I would love to hear!

"Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them."
-Thomas Kinkade


23 comments:

cb said...

such a great topic and something we all struggle with. it is really hard. for me i feel like it fluctuates.some weeks i can do a great balance of both but others i can't. i have to remember that real life is more important and not being present in it is a waste of a wonderful life. i think that having a schedule really so that i know what to expect and i can write things all one day and then make small changes the day before if i don't like how it came out.
xo,
cb

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

I have missed you so!!! But I know it is all about BALANCE. Blogging and the friends that make it all possible are part of my priority, but work at school and my husband are number one. This school year and the operation of my Etsy shop have made that balancing act a lot more CHALLENGING, but I figure that I will hold myself to a standard of GRACE in all things. I didn't even post a new post this past weekend because I had 52 fourth grade essays to grade to prepare for data input this Monday for report cards. I love my students, I love the subject matter. I do not like the system under which we all have to work, but would you believe that I found A LOT of encouragement and a LIFE LESSON in one of my student's papers that reminded me how to handle the stress? LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN DO, and DON'T LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN'T. Now that is my "mantra" for the rest of my life.

Shawna dearest, I wish you well! Anita

A Plum By Any Other Name said...

Beautiful post. Ah balance. Balance is tricky for most and I'm no exception with working full time, going to grad school and blogging. For me the trick has been finding "work" that doesn't feel like it!

Unknown said...

Life is indeed an art of balance! I love this post, so true!

Just Believe said...

I completely agree with you! Sometimes I think it's important to remember that I'm human. I can only do so much and it's okay to take a little time to just enjoy being me.

Martina said...

Balance is what i try to achieve as well - not easy to achieve. I have it for a while and than - swoosh, a wave kicks me of of my board! But i do constantly work for it, by parctising mindfulness. I meriate a little bit every morning!

Monique said...

i think balance is key but i'm still searching for it. these photos are lovely and yes of course it's really tough to squeeze everything in. if i have more insight on this in the future i'll certainly share.

amy b.s. said...

i find that finding the right balance in life is a constant struggle and learning experience.

Gracey said...

My January has been shaky. To sum it up, i quite lost the equilibrium of my scale. But i aim to recover this February. Thanks for posting this. Inspiring article to read :) Have a great month!

Imogen said...

You're right, this is something I'd like to think about and work on more. I totally wish I was in an industry that I actually enjoyed so I could achieve more balance in my life.

HOGGER + Co. said...

So true. I hardly think we are balanced enough in life - and it's easy to forget. I think the "when we go on vacation" or "when I have a day off" has to be thought of in the here and now, not later.

Kumudha said...

Once we know our responsibilities in life, then everything will be on the correct path...

StephieB said...

Such a lovely post with beautiful images too - as always!

You are so right - balance is so important but often seems so elusive.

I have been very slack on the blogging front but have decided to just manage to post when I can - I feel much better for making that decision. Sorry, I don't have any tips. I am kind of hoping that some of your other visitors will reveal their secrets!

Hugs, Stephie x

Gloria said...

Beautiful balancing photos! :)

It truly is a challenge isn't it! The whole balancing act. Sometimes something has to give. And you have to decide which things to let go of. Through prayer and a sincere heart God will help us know what we need to do. I am so thankful he guides us in that way.

Happy February to you!!!

xoxo...Gloria

Elisa @ Crazy, Amazing Life said...

Ah, balance, that elusive mistress, that big tease!

I think balance is when we manage to live our life based on our own priorities - not those society says we should have, not those our mother tried to teach us, and not necessarily those our friends have. Balance is deciding what's important to us, and trying to fit it all in. Which might just be happiness, too.

georgia ~ gi gi said...

Hey there Poppie Girl :) Just missing you sooooooo!
I hope all is well in your busy busy world!
This post is perfect! I long for balance! So many things pulling for your attention!
oh, and I love that.... holding on and letting go!
Hope you have a super week sweet girl!
LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!!

A Casa da Vá said...

Oh friend what a lovely post, couldn't relate more! It has been quite challenging to manage it all, move to another state, new apt, new friends, host family, new job, started my own business, keep the blog alive and still run my non-profit, but at the end of the day it is so worth it!

Miss you!
http://acasadava.blogspot.com/

Madeleine Roberts said...

I would love to hear other people's opinion on balance because I have yet to achieve this. But I would love too.
-Madeleine

Punctuation Mark said...

i'm a libra so balance is really important to me... love the post!

Wander.Lust said...

it's been a while since I visited but I'm so glad I did! what a wonderful and inspirational post. Hope you are having a great week. xoxo

Catherine Denton said...

Funny, balance is my word for the year. And yes, I struggle with it.

I schedule my blog posts for the week on Sunday night so I'm not scrambling to upload pictures when we're thick in the middle of things.
Catherine Denton

Annie said...

I love this, Shawna. Everything you said it so true. Balance is SO key to a happy life. I'm always working on ways to be more balanced each day.. I think a lot of my imbalance at times comes from a failure to prioritize things and people correctly. Lately, I haven't been keeping my blog as high on the priority list as I would like, but hoping to get back to a balanced routine soon ;) p.s. so glad you're in Pinterest! I'm following you now.

Monikka said...

Indeed, I agree so much with your post that "Life is a balance of holding on and letting go". The kind of balance we all need to understand and appreciate. By the way, you can check out this dresses too which has the balance of glamour and sophistication. http://www.missesdressy.com/q-black_and_white. Keep your post beating, I'll keep posted!

Monikka
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