I want to take the time to write about 6 aspects of life that I feel put together a complete picture of a balanced person. By focusing on these different dimensions of life we can determine which areas need work and which areas we already have a good handle on. These six aspects include physical, mental, emotional, social, financial and spiritual. If any one of these gets out of whack it can send ripples through our life. That is why it is important to exercise balance and stay conscious when we begin to drift too far one way or another.
To read part one of this two part series please click here.
4. SOCIAL
Our happiness expresses a need to connect to others. Even our personal identity can be dependent on how others see us within the realm of our social world. It is therefore important that we spend time with friends, family, other loved ones, and even strangers. I don’t believe it is ever appropriate for us to stop meeting new people or creating new relationships, whether it is for business, friendship, or intimacy.
I notice that many people on the so-called “spiritual” or “personal growth” path, which includes many readers of this blog, have a tendency to neglect their social relationships. It isn’t something they do intentionally. It is just that they have been putting too much focus on developing themselves that they forget that a big part of it all is how we develop our relationships with others.
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Things to do:
- Go out places to meet people. Bars, clubs, coffee shops, yoga workshops, music shows – whatever interests appeal to you most.
- Plan an event. Think of something that you and your friends like doing, then find a date that works for the most people. It can be something as simple as going out to a new restaurant to throwing a costume party at your house. Invite as many or as a few people as possible. If your goal is to meet new people then have your friends bring other friends.
- Re-connect with old friends. Now with the internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, it is actually possible to stay in touch with virtually everyone you have ever known. Ask how people are doing, and see if you still share any common interests.
- Go to meet-up or dating sites. I don’t necessarily recommend this one, but this is now becoming a legitimate way to meet new people so I figure it is worth mentioning. When I was younger I met about 15-20 people through Myspace. Some of those people I am still good friends with today. The great thing about the internet is that you can connect easily with people who share your tastes, even if they are a bit quirkier than the norm. Finding people with similar music tastes is a particular area of my life that the internet has helped me out with greatly.
5. FINANCIAL
You cannot ignore the economic realities of life no matter what part of the world you are in. In any system, whether it is capitalist or socialist, you are going to be called upon to offer something of value to society. In some cultures they call this a “job,” although I have come to hate the word completely.
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Things to do:
- Simple answer: go to school and then pursue a career. Of course it is never that easy. You need to find something that interests you. You can start by asking yourself, “What can I do that will make me enough money to live comfortably but that I still enjoy doing?”
- Do you want to be an entrepreneur? I personally think we do not ask ourselves this question enough. We take it for granted that we need to go to college, only to later enter the corporate world. But is this really the case? You may have a particular talent or skill that you can capitalize on without having to have a boss who dictates your every move. Wouldn’t that be nice and worth pursuing?
- Many people who aren’t entrepreneurs or CEOs still enjoy their work life. You can certainly work for a corporation and still love your job. Find a good company to work for. You are worth it. The best part is that you will be more productive when you enjoy your job. This then gives you a sense of achievement that every good job should provide.
- A healthy financial life also includes knowing how to set a budget, not spending beyond your means, and being a good saver. You can have the best paying job in the world, but you can still spend your way to bankruptcy. Prioritize your spending. Needs come before luxuries. Savings are the best way to minimize financial risk for the future.
- Avoid making bad economic decisions. You can start by reading a great article published in 1998 in the Harvard Business Review regarding Hidden Traps Of Decision Making (11 page PDF file). This one goes over the most common biases we share when making decisions about money.
6. SPIRITUAL
Spirituality can sometimes be the most overlooked aspect to life. I define it as “the relationship between our self and the world.” In many ways, our spiritual life is what defines our core, our foundation, our purpose, our identity, and our reason for living. It permeates in all that we think, say, and act. It is also how we view ourselves in relation to the world. Our spirituality determines our position of personal power. We can let the world crush us, or we can let it sit in the palm of our hands. Our relationship with our self has a deep impact on our relationship with others.
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Things to do:
- Be creative. When we express ourselves through things like art, music, or writing we are developing an emotional and spiritual intelligence; we are turning our ideas and intentions into reality. We are drawing upon the creative energies of God himself.
- Spend time in solitude. It is really not as depressing as it sounds. Dedicate some time alone for prayer, meditation, or even something as simple as watching the sunrise. Learn to appreciate these moments because they are composed of the same fundamental things that make up our whole matrices of existence. It is a way to be in better touch with your most basic self, something so simple, yet the source of all our happiness and suffering. Learn to love it for everything that it is.
- Have faith that life is good. Faith may not have any role in science, but it does have an important role in good living. Don’t underestimate the importance of seeing the good in things, even our very worst experiences can be valuable, as they are only lessons yet to be learned. Every moment is a source of wealth. Practice living richly.
It's funny that I had never thought about it this way, but if I look at my intentions, they line up nicely with these six areas.
In my experience, if we can expand awareness and let go of stuck patterns, many of these areas rise intuitively.
Nice article, thanks.
I agree with Kaushik here, this article really summed up for me what aspects of life I should be focusing on more. Currently I am doing great financially, but there are other areas of my life that are severely lacking…
Thanks for your help!
Interesting article, although I would say that a lot of the advice is very common place and common sense. Perhaps, some inspirational examples are needed to turn these from a simple list of common pieces of advice to an article that can make its point effectively and offer genuine insight.
But hey, I am all for making lists, so a good article overall.
What bothers me about this site is that the articles I’ve seen so far aren’t signed by a particular author. Does anyone know why that is?
I thought this was really well done. As dgn said, some of the advice is kind of commonplace, but I thought you made your points very clear and eloquent. I personally am inspired! Nice blog!
Hey dgn, so far I am the only person who contributes to this blog. I will be making an About section within the next week.
Thanks for reading everyone and thanks for the kind words and advice!
While much of this advice seems “common place and common sense,” it is not common place and common sense to very many people. Spirituatliy, as noted in the article, is not something that many people consider in their lives, and among those who do practice spirituality regularly, many are far from where they need to be in order to live healthy lives (myself included at times). Great article that points out all the important aspects of life and gives tips on how to keep them in balance!
"I notice that many people on the so-called “spiritual” or “personal growth” path, which includes many readers of this blog, have a tendency to neglect their social relationships. It isn’t something they do intentionally. It is just that they have been putting too much focus on developing themselves that they forget that a big part of it all is how we develop our relationships with others."
This really rang true.
Keep up the posts!
What's your site host? The layout reminds me of other blogs, like BraveNewTraveler.com
Thank you for this list. Reading it, I now see that I have a lot of things that I need to be working on, especially social. I'm really bad at attracting and maintaining personal relationships.
This articled lined up few great points regarding career, money and personnel life too. My career is going fine as well as personnel too. But still, after reading this article, i think, I need to improve my skills more.
We tend to focus on one thing at a time and ignore the rest of the things you wrote about. The lack of balance is felt after a certain period of time. Being a well-rounded person is different from being balanced. Thank you for your guidelines.
These points are really inspiring. I like how you presented them in a direct manner and as a reader I still feel that you are definitely connecting to us. I would heed your advice and try to live my life happily.
well all said but what satisfaction and balance spirituality can bring to your personality no other thing can…
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I love this tip: Spend time in solitude. I completely agree with you. Before you can truly love anyone else and appreciate life you need to love yourself, this is not an easy feat. But so fulfilling and rewarding not only for yourself but all of those around you. Thanks for the inspiration.
I am terrible at budgeting and as a result it's led to a lot of issues in my life. I really need to make a budget and follow better economic decisions as well. Great advice.
I love that you mention spirituality, because it's an aspect of humanity that is not discussed very often. In fact, in many circles, it never comes up at all. It may mean different things to different people, but in the end, everyone needs to feel connected to the world and themselves for balance and fulfillment.
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I've become a parent recently, and I've really enjoyed exclusively spending time with my new baby and husband. However, after a couple of months, I realized that something was missing. My friendships had taken a backseat. After reconnecting with good friends, I learned a lesson that I needed that social aspect in my life to feel balanced.
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Very interesting article. I think that a lot of people don't realize how important creativity is and the impact it can have on balancing out your life; even just spending five minutes doodling can be calming and a good way to relax.
Learning to "spend time in solitude" is one of the best investments I've ever made in myself. I used to laugh when others would mention doing this. I thought it was only for self-indulgent ceiling surfers and had no place in reality for the rest of us. It took a lot of perseverance but, now that I practice it regularly, the benefits have been amazing!! Loved the article and the site. Cheers
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Thanks for stopping by Oliver. Yeah, I think solitude definitely gets a bad rep sometimes, but I believe when we get to know ourselves we are also that much more aware of our relationships and interconnectedness.
Enjoy your weekend!