Seems the popular thing to do these days is to blame everyone and everything for our unhappiness. I have read posts of people ranting about how society, corporate America, and even the church are at fault for an unbalanced and unhappy life. Seriously?
Victimhood does no one any good, especially you! Talk about a lie being sold hard. When we become victims, we truly give our power away to others, and we’ll never find peace.
Quit blaming others for your life’s disappointments. Relationships fail. Jobs are lost. Some things happen to us, but we also create some of our own troubles. The common denominator in all disappointments and hardships is our choices.
Therein lies the secret to work/life balance. We each have to choose and define what it looks like for us. Just because a version of what it should look like is being sold to you doesn’t mean you have to buy it. And if you did buy into it and didn’t like the outcome, return it and buy something else!
Back in my 20s, I believed that climbing the corporate ladder and obtaining high-level positions and prestigious titles meant success. I erroneously thought that this success equaled happiness. This couldn’t have been further from the truth…for me. What good would it do me to be angry at college courses that taught me this principle? They presented their opinion. I am responsible for how I interpreted that and what I did with it. Period.
At the age of 30 when my entire life came crashing down upon me, I didn’t have a corporate job. I had no title or paycheck. Heck, I didn’t even have a car or place to live! Did I scream and yell at the world for my woes? NO! I looked within. Even if I believe the world screwed me over, if I want anything to change, I must start with my own thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, choices, and decisions.
The older I get, I realize how very precious energy is and that it is a limited supply. Don’t waste it on the wrong things. Use your energies to create the work/life balance you desire. And remember that only you can put value to concepts. Ideas are only as real as we make them. If a certain approach doesn’t work for you, try something else. Here’s to YOUR work/life balance.
Need some help figuring out and defining what a balanced life looks like for you? My book, I Want My Life Back! has exercises for you to do to drill down and discover what needs to go and what you want to stay. Get YOUR life back!
