When I decided to retire at age 50 and thought that I wanted to be a full-time mom, I was not quite right.  I needed more activity in my daily life (not to say that being a mom is not a lot of work) beyond home and to have that balance of worth, fulfillment and success.  I knew in my heart that I needed more intellectual stimulation.  I then decided to launch my 2nd act.  I was able to build my business, starting at 50, knowing in my heart that the balance I long for goes beyond being a mom to two beautiful children and that I can extend myself and encourage other women that life’s possibilities are limitless.  That the only limit lives in your own belief system. So, I took that challenge to shift careers, opened my world to a different environment and have not stopped since.

For many, this balance may look like a different picture.  As a baby, balance had to do with staying on two feet for longer than 30 seconds. As a child, balance was how far we could walk along the curb without falling off. As teenagers it was how much we could fight with mom or dad before facing the consequences. As an adult, balance has become a constantly changing point between work, family, and leisure. 

Work-life balance or work-life integration, is a measure spoken about by every employer, though not often encouraged in practice. There will never be the ‘right’ amount of time to take off or the exact number of days to give off for personal enjoyment. Everyone has a different point of balance, and this point will shift in different periods of a person’s life. Finding the right balance is critical in living a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Beyond work, balance is necessary through all aspects of life. It is what keeps us in check, productive, and energized to continue. Without balance, it is easy to be consumed by outside pressures or demands and lose yourself and your goals in the process. As mentioned before, there is no number dictating a perfect 50-50 balance or a point that is the ‘right’ balance. This must be something each person strives to find and live up to; not only for themselves, but for those around them as well. 

If you feel out of balance, change that! Do something to reset yourself and cut yourself a break. Go on a walk, take some time for yourself, do something that makes you happy. Try to find a balance in how you act and what you do and remember that this is no perfect number, no dependable feeling. Finding balance is a personal journey of discovery and introspection that changes for everyone. 

So, it is time to find your balance. Good luck!

“If your heart, your mind and your soul are aligned, you will do your best work.”