keitbraycoach  

OUT OF BALANCE (In Two Key Areas)?
A couple of relevant quotes to begin this blog.
Dick Cavett was quoted as saying "It is a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear" and Oscar Wilde said "To love ones self is the beginning of a lifelong romance”. Emerson said "Where there is no vision, people perish".
I hit a point in my life where balance became a real issue. In working with clients and others I know I'm not alone.
There was a balance in daily routine which made allot of sense. I certainly lived erratically.
This area was addressed thoroughly at the treatment centre I attended many years ago. They provided a check list for daily living to all their clients; and being resistant to change, I followed and used this check list for ten years to ingrain it into my life. Some of us are slow learners.
I use the list in my coaching practise with some modifications to make it a little more universal. I am glad to provide it at no cost to anyone who thinks balance is an issue. Just email me at khbray@hopeserenity.ca and I will send the check list to you. In using it, you will get quick answers to where your life is out of balance. Those who really want more balance in life with less ups and downs act upon the list and incorporate good living practices into their daily life. As noted, it took me an extended period of usage for balanced living to become normal.
An area that took longer to appreciate was the balance between the two sides of me that are at work on a daily basis.
At the time I made the decision to undergo a journey of change, and transition to a new way of living, my adult self, conscious or conditioned self or what ever you choose to call it, had become dominant.
Inside of me there was always a small quiet voice which knew the correct thing to do and loved to play and be happy. Call it conscience, soul, inner child; again, whatever you can relate to. At the low point of my life, I had learned to stifle this part of me; to override a lot of the "correct" things to do in a selfish and destructive fashion.
The result of this part of me being out of balance was an increasing loss of zest for life, increasing periods of depression, grandiose dreaming, a steady decline of self-esteem (love), getting dependant on mood altering substances and behaviours including becoming my job, declining personal relationships, an underlying sense of fear and more. Life was not going in a good direction, and was constantly declining in joy.
Over a period of fifteen years, and with much help from experts and support from those who loved me, I have been able to make dramatic changes in my life. This was not easy and required hard work and total honesty with self on my part. I work daily to keep balance in both key areas of my life.
The result; reasonable humility and decent self-respect (love), hope, serenity, little depression, living without mood alterers, better relationships with others, a recognition of my own short coming, lingering resentments gone, and loving to work with others to in part, help me keep with what I have been given.
Don't misunderstand. Life is far from perfect, things still happen that aren't pleasant and I mess up. I've made progress and will never reach perfection. That being said, life is pretty darn good.
From my own experience and from upgrading my education and interfacing with many others, I have learned that I have the ability to help others. This is the major focus of my life today. In helping others and seeing their progress, it certainly keeps my personal growth curve moving in the right direction and makes life far richer. It is wonderful to live comfortably in my own skin most of the time. It is great to live with integrity and take responsibility for my own mistakes. It is wonderful to earn the trust of others and to not live with constant internal fear.
It is wonderful to guide others to that path.
If you think your life might be out of balance, and you can relate to my story, please feel free to get in touch for a no obligation chat. Perhaps my experience can help you get the balance in your life that is currently lacking. It's a great, but difficult trip.