The last two weekends my wife and I have led retreats based on our Living Compass program on both coasts of our country. The first weekend we were in Westport, Connecticut, an hour outside of New York City. This past weekend we were in two cities in California--Sacramento and Sutter Creek. As different as these three communities are from one another, the people at each of the retreats all reported that they were looking for the same thing in their lives--a greater sense of balance. This tells me a couple of things, both good and bad. The bad news is that maintaining a sense of balance in our lives is becoming more of challenge in our world today. The good news though is that people are more aware of the consequences of living chronically out of balance and are becoming more intentional about making the necessary choices that will bring greater balance and wellness to their lives.
I was thinking about balance when I stopped by my local bank this morning to make a deposit. When I finished the transaction the teller gave me my receipt which conveniently showed me my "current balance." Because I had just made a deposit, my current balance had increased. As I begin to make withdrawals of course my current balance will decline. This same basic accounting principle applies to my current sense of life balance and personal wellness. If I have been making more deposits than withdrawals in my relationships with family and friends, then my current balance in that area of my life will be increasing. If I have been making more withdrawals than deposits in regards to my physical wellness, my current balance in that area of my life will be decreasing. If that trend continues I will become overdrawn and will most likely become sick. At that point I will have to start making some deposits regarding my physical wellness in order to restore my health.
The current balance in terms of my emotional and spiritual balance works the same way. The ratio of deposits and withdrawals I have been making will determine whether I am experiencing health or "dis-ease" in these areas of my life. A chronic feeling of tiredness or exhaustion is usually a warning sign that I have been making more withdrawals than deposits in the areas of my spiritual and/or emotional wellness.
Your bank is the best place to turn to find out the current balance of our checking account. Who can you turn to help you find out your current balance in terms of wellness and wholeness? The best person to turn to for this is you! Take a few minutes--maybe even right now-- to reflect on your state of physical, spiritual, emotional and relational wellness. Listen to what your body, heart, soul, and relationships are telling you. Where do you find yourself in or out of balance right now? In what areas of your life have you been making more withdrawals than deposits? Decide on a few specific deposits you can begin making right now to correct any current imbalances.
Maintaining our wellness and wholeness is as simple as checking our current balance on a regular basis and then changing the ratio of deposits to withdrawals in the areas that need rebalancing. It is as simple as that and as hard as that, as we learned from our recent retreat experiences. The rewards are so worth the effort though, not just for ourselves, but for everyone else in our lives.
So next time you are making a deposit at the bank, stop and reflect on what other kinds of deposits you can make to enhance your current balance and wellness in your life. And besides, don't we all want to avoid the discomfort and embarrassment of becoming overdrawn?