The Burnout Queens Wisdom: I unapologetically confess that I prefer an ‘expected’ day-to-day existence

The Burnout Queens Wisdom:  A highly sensitive woman has heard these many times over….You’re too moody, smart,  sensitive,  serious,  idealistic…did you know… you can turn ‘too’ into ‘so’?  Repeat after us… I’m so compassionate, intelligent, intuitive, creative and dynamic…embrace your sensitivity, it is the foundation of who you are.

Ok, here goes, deep breath…..I’m going to write about balance.  I’m hesitant because all we hear about is ‘work/life balance’ and that just seems like a somewhat silly distinction to us.  Then there’s always that ‘perfect pie’ of balance (you know the one) or talking about balance like it was a utopia that you would find one day if you did all the ‘right’ things.

For a while we stopped even using the word balance because it had somehow been hijacked by the media and everyone was now on the search for the latest and greatest way of finding Balance (that’s balance with a BIG B).

So we’ve been trying to make this point for years, that there is no ‘perfect pie’ of balance, balance is not a single destination that you find one day (in this Burnout Queen’s life most likely by tripping over it!) and there is far far more to balance than the duality of work and life, frankly that one doesn’t even make sense to us.

There is far more to balance than the simplistic duality of work and life.

Having said all that, it doesn’t mean we don’t believe in balance.  For us it comes in the form of an inner balance, an equilibrium.  We dubbed it ‘living balance’ many many moons ago and you know what, it still fits what we want for our lives, and for yours.

It’s a bit of a play on words, living balance, because you live it day in and day out (yes even on those not so good days) and it is a living thing.  Imagine a 70s lava lamp and you’ve got it!

Living balance is never static, it shifts its shape and weight; stretches and shrinks, rises to the top only to sink to the bottom; it’s all over the place!  Between you and me, that’s exactly what balance in my life is like!

Here’s the BOQs very own definition of living balance (no capital letters please):

living balance, v: living with equilibrium between your needs, wants, values and beliefs, merged with all aspects of your ever changing slightly crazy external world.  adv: taking action based on a deep inner knowledge of who you are (quirkiness, imperfections and all), what you want, and what you need.  n: a lifestyle that brings inner strength, courage, and bounce-back; an energy source and an energy flow.  adj: a harmonious, calming, less stressful way of planning and doing.

That about covers it!

The truly wonderful thing about living balance is that it emanates from the centre of your being.  It’s source lies in being true to who you are and having a considerate and respectful awareness of your feelings, needs, wants, values, and beliefs.  Living balance allows you to focus your energy on creating dreams, building success, fulfilling potential, having life adventures, and enjoying it all.  Sounds big, but it’s not extraordinary, it’s built on embracing ordinary everyday life, big stuff and small stuff, the stuff that simply keeps life ticking along.

Living balance is definitely all about you, the inner you translated honestly and genuinely into your outer world.  It also requires flexibility, resilience, and the willingness to embrace and transcend change.  No more trying to be in five places at once, worrying about making the right decisions, stretching yourself to the point of snapping, and slowly but surely inching towards burnout.

When you live with living balance you are able to give your best to yourself and to each and every significant person in your life. 

So, can you find tranquility, harmony, and equilibrium in a perfectly manic 24/7 world?  Absolutely, but it means seeing balance in a whole new light.  We’ll say it again, lava lamp!

There, done, putting it out there once more.  Balance, living balance.  The kind of balance that allows you to embrace life’s challenges, ups and downs, idiosyncracies, and imperfections with not a ‘perfect pie’ in sight unless we are talking lemon meringue and then we’re in!