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How to Balance? A Passage to a Happy, Prosperous and Fulfilling Life

One of the important things in life is the ability to balance it, to maintain life activities in all its different facets and levels. So often, happiness is neutralized and swiped away. It is not because we as humans cannot be happy alone; it is because of our day to day routines and how we manage our work and private life activities. In as much as work-life balance is important towards a happy life, it is often that one of these have played second fiddle to the other, making life so difficult and unmanageable for many.

In general, work-life balance essentially refers to a meaningful daily achievement and enjoyment in each of the four life quadrants that include family, work, friends and most importantly the strength and conviction of the self. A balanced life is one where we spread our energy and effort – emotional, intellectual, imaginative, spiritual and physical – into all areas of our life and ignite consistent commitment, focus and willpower in achieving that. Sharing is a healthy ingredient to happiness, and below is a list of some of the key areas recommended to focus on for living a happy, prosperous and fulfilling life:

1) Time management
Time management is the opium of a balanced life. Every minute used or lost is never retained back in our lives. It is the time that allows us to balance and help us utilise every minute we enjoy on this earth. Time management, though difficult, is the only way that one can be able to gauge and evaluate their commitment to all the important aspects and commitments that life offers. It is through time that we are able to set our priorities right and manage situations of, for example, greater time being devoted to professional development at the expense of family and relationships or other life aspects, among them the spiritual life, as well as body care and health.

2) Goal setting
It is quiet certain that we can never know where we are going if we do not know where we are and how far we want to go from the current position of locus. Life without goals is like a vehicle without fuel, it will never move no matter how important the journey may be. It is through goal setting that we are able to know how far we want to go, at what pace and utilising what resources. When we go to work, we must be able to set the goal of why we commit our time towards that and how much time we would want to commit. It is that relationship between goal setting and time management that can help balance between life and work and other related facets of decent and dignified lifestyle.

3) Habit and willpower development
In life, there is no sweet without sweat. If we are willing to give, that is the only way we can get something; moreover, if we are to give without expectation for the favour to be returned, happiness and contentment is guaranteed. What is most important though is that work-life balance is very much connected to habit development: how much committed and willing we are to let go bad habits and work harder towards accumulating good habits.

Life will deliver the value and balance that we desire when we are committed to achieving and enjoying something every single day as it comes in absolutely every aspect of humanity. The integration between one’s professional life and personal life is achievable if one is willing to lose some of the old habits and be equally mindful to live in the moment and accumulate routines that are positive and balanced in accommodation of all life facets. It is painful, time consuming but worthy committing towards. It is the willpower that is required in achieving it, and the willpower is the work of a clear and focused mind.

4) Self-development

One of the products of an imbalanced lifestyle is continued stress and unhappiness. Have you ever wondered why those seemingly successful business and professional people are always stressed and somewhat unhappy? The majority of people spend the greater part of their lives searching for success and trying to be better and more outstanding in a highly competitive modern world. Happiness comes from within, hence self-development and living in the moment are important to achieve a happy life. It is through a clear, focused mind that one can be content and closer to living an easy and simple life, inclusive of all facets, such as the financial, professional, family, physical and other related life aspects.

Be content and balance your life

A balanced, calm and modest life brings more happiness than the constant pursuit of success combined by constant restlessness. One of the most brilliant minds said that a peaceful mind and a peaceful life are the key to happiness. Let’s embrace a calm and modest way of a balanced life by living in the moment, taking one step at a time and moving each day as it passes!

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How To Program Your Mind For Success?

Our time and energy in this life is limited. A person can spend a great deal of time worrying and doubting, especially when feeling stuck. This way, one would end up wasting a lot of time, often not realizing that the solution is to channel the willpower, to start with one thing, then slowly build it up. How to make sure that the time we spend here is not wasted? A lot depends on how we program our mind and what we feed our mind with. Here are some techniques to help you.

1) Check your habits

What we feed our mind is what creates the patterns according to which we operate; it determines the life and passion that we experience at each given moment. This leads us to the rate of success and happiness that we enjoy through our life.

In order to take control of this, we need to start by checking our habits. Are they taking us to the path of success and happiness? Let’s remember, that though we are endowed with the awareness to feel the weight of negative patterns, we also have the ability to rise and make our dreams come true by putting a conscious effort into patterns that we are creating. Ask yourself: how can I nourish myself in the next hour, in the next day so that I build the life I want and deserve?

2) Visualize success

Visualisation is a powerful technique that allows to picture and project ourselves where we wish to be to the greatest detail. We can grasp that feeling, use the energy we get from it to make it happen.

Make a conscious choice to give yourself time out. Walk in nature, cherish the moments that give an opportunity to disconnect from everything that is distracting and preventing you to be completely honest with yourself. Create your own rituals to start and end the day. Make time for meditation as often as you can. As you work with your willpower and attention, especially in meditation, you will notice the length of time, attention and concentration varying. As time expands, you will come to a point where you can feel comfortable and enjoy  longer practice sessions which give you the chance to sink in and touch the depths of what visualisation has to offer.

3) Be bold and imagine your own funeral

A bold exercise is to imagine your own funeral. Imagine walking into a room. Inside the room are your friends and family. And as you walk into the room, you see a box. You realise that you are in the box and it’s the day of your funeral. What kind of things do you want people to remember about the life you lived, about the kind of person you were, about the things you did and the way you made them feel when they were around you?

4) Empower your thoughts

You have the power to take control over your thoughts. Use the energy you save here for doing good. Replace the negative thoughts with those that support you. No one can do it for you, you are alone in this. Start to move towards your goal: visualise it, imagine it happening, feel it happening right now. Get clear on what you want to see happening and your life will change. You are worth it! A happy life is not an accident, and you can make it happen.

Whenever you catch yourself saying something negative about yourself or your plans and abilities, replace it with something wholesome.

5) Dig into yourself

Everyone has the opportunity, the right and the obligation to be happy.  What do you love doing? What can you do about it? Where are the people with similar ideas?

We are versions of many possibilities. And definitely more than the sum of our thoughts. Be aware of what the mind is telling you and ask yourself if it helps you become the person you want to be.

Conclusion

Every day is a new chance. You can get your mind to figure out where you want to be, what you need to do to achieve it, why it means something for you and then program your mind to do it. It is often that what you’ve been postponing  to do is the place where to start, the game changer. The one that can break the rut. The one that helps you start the day with fresh energy. You can program your mind for success.

“Owning your story and loving yourself through that process is the bravest thing that you’ll ever do.” (Brené Brown)

  • To learn more about visualising your own funeral see Michael Gerber The E-Myth Revisited
  • Photo credits: Vasilios Muselimis@unsplash
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Plan Your Happiness

Do you think it is possible to plan your happiness? Let’s see.

There are some things we can do to make sure we are as happy as possible. This is mostly about our self development, inner work and attitudes. There are also some things out of our control – such as natural disasters, actions of people around us, and to a certain degree – political and social situation. This is mostly about outer things. If we assume that we cannot change outer circumstances, but we are in charge of our inner harmony and peace, we can start a totally new path.

On our path of self love and self acceptance, we do not concentrate on blame, shame, guilt and judgements anymore. Yes, I was born into this family where I was taught bad habits, yes, I live in a country where everyone is drinking, but I cannot do too about it if I start complaining. Instead, I will become in charge of my actions through my words and thoughts. I will change my habits through changing my behaviours and emotions, and I will be in charge of my own happiness to the degree to which it is possible.

So, how exactly do we plan happiness?

1. Make a powerful intention

If you want a new incredible lifestyle, you will have to do things you have never done before. This may be tough, and your habits and lack of motivation may start dragging you back into your old daily routine.

A possible intention may be:

  •  I will meditate every morning.
  • I will practice yoga every morning.
  • I will do a good deed – something for a person who could not do this to themselves – every day.
  • I will smile to those who frown in the streets.
  • I will hug ten friends daily.

Your intention can be about anything, but make sure you believe in what you do and you know it will make you happier. Once the intention is made, never question it again. At least for a year.

2. Choose your power-word that will support you every day. What is it that you need from life the most at the moment? Here is a list of example power-words, or you may choose your own too.

Live. Focus. Health. Purpose. Compassion. Stability. Kindness. Celebration. Confidence. Peace. Mindfulness. Change. Positive. Grace. Consistency. Commitment. Hope. Trust. Courage. Presence. Patience. Meditation. Believe. Be. Freedom. Healing. Self-love. Extraordinary. Action. Routine. Adventure. Integrity. Positivity. Fearless. Work. Growth. Discipline. Listen. Balance. Intention. School. Original. Magic. Harmony. Dedication. Dream. Giving. Calm. Awaken. Faith. Joyful. Equanimity. Accomplish. Gentleman. Partnership. Effort. Persistence. Communication. Alive. Inspire. Passion. Ritual. Learn. Acceptance. Actualize. Playfulness. Aware. Union. Flow. Respect. Intention. Frugal. Social. Wellbeing. Tend. Risk. Travel. Productivity. Complete. Friends. Control. Strength. Fruition. Congruence. Impact. Determined. Resilience. Explore. Art. Bravery.

3. Make a list of activities that make you happy

For someone it may be skiing, for another – it is writing. Once you have written your list, plan to do at least one of these activities regularly and at least one exciting activity each month.

While writing this article I have drafted my Happiness boost year plan and I share it as an example.

To do regularly: find time for writing every week

To do monthly:

July – ride a water zorb

August – ride a hot air balloon

September – go to a meditation retreat

October – practice yoga every day

November – learn how to make chocolate

December – study a new language

Remember – no matter what you do, even the smallest things – everything you read, hear, see, smell and taste – remain in your subconscious memory. Everything you encounter in your daily life constitutes who you are, and it is good to make such resolutions to empower yourself.

Remember – when you make an intention, may it be strong and full of inner responsibility. It is you in charge of your life, and with your power of choice you can always always make it better.

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To Be Happy Here and Now

New shining dress, new job promotion, vacations in Malaysia… Do you often catch yourself thinking that you need to achieve something, become someone or go somewhere to be happy? How about being happy here and now with something that you already have? Is it possible? Join us in the SEE Peace Summit in Tirana, Albania from December 15 to 18, and together with young leaders from all over Europe we will explore tools for self-sustaining happiness and personal development.

Many people are frustrated looking for lasting happiness and thinking that things such as abundance of possessions, co-dependent relationships and the acceptance of others will help them reach their goals. SEE Peace Summit wants to introduce meditation techniques as a new way of positively affecting individuals’ habits and transforming their life, thus refocusing all of our personal priorities from an outward search to an inward quest.

With personal development as one of the thematic areas, the summit will also explore sub-themes such as mindfulness, art and meditation, as well as stress management in order to better understand how to keep a peaceful mind while coping with daily life challenges; how to move towards one’s goals in a peaceful manner, not forgetting the gratitude and happiness for the present moment.

During the SEE Peace Summit, different speakers will be giving workshops to help discover various aspects on personal development. For instance, Vesna Laković, Mindfulness Trainer and Education Coordinator at Familylab Serbia will be leading workshops on how to embrace difficult emotions with mindfulness. Participants will learn to recognize, understand and accept their different emotions, especially the unpleasant ones. Meanwhile, Peace Educator Manuela Puscas will deliver a workshop on how to become aware of our inner conflicts and have practical tools that help in dealing with them.

Apart from trainers and speakers, the SEE Peace summit will feature two Thai Buddhist monks – Venerable John Paramai Dhanissaro and Venerable Pasura Dhantamano – who will not only guide meditation sessions and give lectures, but offer a unique opportunity to have a one-to-one or a group conversation in the Meditation Clinic.

The SEE Peace Summit is organized by the World Peace Initiative Foundation (WPI), an international organization that promotes the culture of peace in the world through a practice of meditation and mindfulness. The summit aims to bring together young people from all over Europe, offering them a space to exchange experiences and create ideas for improving themselves and their communities back home.

Apply for the SEE Peace Summit here.

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How to Make the Most Out of Your Day

Don’t you just love those days when you feel like you have grown wings and you are hopping around between different tasks, having perfect concentration and completing everything in no time? And you don’t just stop when you get off from work, but continue finishing the month’s long To Do list of your household chores, doing exercise and being excited and happy?

How can you make each day of your life be this lively and energetic? Continue reading “How to Make the Most Out of Your Day”