Out of Balance

Many of us struggle trying to find balance in our lives. There are so many hats to wear, places to be, things to do… it is hard to do it all. Recently, I have found myself out of balance.

Many of you know I am a recovering alcoholic. The core of my entire life and business is based on my recovery as an alcoholic and the growth and evolution I learned along the way. As a recovering person, there is a little more required for me to live a happy and healthy life and I have always been incredibly dedicated to my health and wellbeing. I want to be well, I want to care for myself, and I want to care for others. But if I don’t nourish myself, inside and out, then I won’t have anything to offer.

So these past several weeks I have had my head buried in work. I love my work, it is a blessing and a joy and I love every second of every conversation. Then, I noticed I was feeling a little off. My energy was low, my mood was down, I gained a few pounds, and I was isolating. I realized I hadn’t been to the gym, I hadn’t been doing my meditation and visualization, I wasn’t talking to any of my friends or going anywhere or doing anything. We all know, that does not feel good and it scared me a little bit.

It is imperative that I take care of myself and protect my sobriety. I do not get to have this life I cherish if I don’t keep myself well. And this is something I wish more people would understand. We have to be well as individuals if we want to have anything to offer anyone else. How can I be a good coach or educator if I don’t practice what I preach? How can people be good parents if they are tired, living in financial insecurity, and grumpy to their kids all the time? How can we be good employees if we are resentful at our job or boss or co-workers? The number one, most important thing we can do as people is take care of ourselves. Feed your soul, your body, and your mind. Whatever that looks like for you. Do it.

For me, that means being with friends and laughing. It means reading a good book and cuddling with my dog. Sometimes it means I have to turn the ringer off on my phone for a little while so I can slow my mind and relax. Maybe a movie in the afternoon, spending time with my family, or seeing my niece smile. Sometimes it means going for a walk, and it always means I need to spend a few minutes with my eyes closed, thinking about all of the things I am grateful for and all of the things I want to bring into my future.

In this realization that I was completely out of balance, I knew the first thing I had to do was take action. So that’s what I did. I reached out to some friends, went to some meetings, and read about some new meditation. Writing feeds my soul, love feeds my soul, the universe feeds my soul. But if I don’t pay attention and take the time to do it, then my soul feels flat and tired instead of vibrant and excited.

Here I am, doing the work, being dedicated, caring for myself, so I can continue this incredible life I have built.