Imagine your life as a what the Buddhists refer to as the “wheel of life” and you are its “hub,” or center. Each spoke on your wheel represents a different aspect of your life: relationships, work, health, finances, spiritual growth, social activities and so forth. Is your wheel balanced, or are one of the spokes getting more attention than the rest? Like a wheel that is meant to rotate smoothly with each revolution, we are happiest when our lives are flowing smoothly because we are in balance.

You’ll know when you’re out of balance; life will feel heavy, your energy will be lower than usual and your enthusiasm for life may be missing. The problem may not necessarily be that there’s anything wrong, but that you’re overly focused on one area while neglecting others that are equally important to your well-being. Which area might that be, you wonder? Well, it’s usually the one that you’re constantly thinking about, worrying about and probably talking about. Most likely it’s the one that your friends are tired of hearing about!

Sometimes we need to put the majority of our focus on one area while we’re working through something critical. This might include a recovery process or addressing some issue or crisis that needs our attention right now. However, that is usually the exception.

For example, a few months ago, I delved into a three month period of intense meditation and spiritual practice. For ninety days I meditated upon waking, in the mid-afternoon, before dinner, and right before going to bed at night. I completely changed my schedule to accommodate all of the meditations and contemplation because I felt a strong desire to connect with my deepest self and to experience some significant internal shifts, which I did. However, I could not have kept up that pace forever. After ninety days it was time for me to reduce the amount of spiritual practice and integrate the other areas of my life back into my “wheel.” Spending time with others, working with clients, traveling, having fun--these are all integral to my living life to its fullest and having a sense of balance. The ninety days of intense spiritual practice was akin to fasting for it allowed me to release what no longer served my highest good which led to a more balanced lifestyle...

>>> Continue Reading "Balancing Your Wheel of Life"

© Copyright Laura V. Hyde. This article was originally published at our website, SoulfulLiving.com, in July 2005, as part of Soulful Living's "Life Balance" Issue.

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