Happy Blogaversary to me... and a Reflection

Today marks the anniversary of when I started blogging. Its hard to believe! I never realized that I would enjoy it so much or 'meet' all of you wonderful people. I originally started simply with the idea that I wanted a place to write some thoughts and organize my links, pictures, etc. I had never even really read blogs before I started one and didn't quite understand the whole 'blogosphere'.

As much as I love blogging though, I think I got a little too sucked into this virtual world. I started five other blogs as well at various points this fall - some on blogspot and some on tumblr.

A Whole Lotta Love

A Love Train

A Peace Train on blogger and on Tumblr

Life's Simple Joys

Craziness, right? I also got starting pinning a lot of things to Pinterest and even though its not a blog, all of a sudden I had like 700 followers.

To be honest, I never really cared about gaining followers... I just like blogging, but I think all of a sudden I started caring more about it and it scared me. I sometimes see on other blogs people saying things like 'follow for follow' and I feel like I'm in 7th grade again. Why does this matter? Its not the real world. As much as I want to be appreciated for what I write or post, I don't want anyone to feel like they 'have' to read my blog just because I follow them and vice versa. 

I also got into reading more and more blogs because you became my 'friends', but it can actually takes quite a bit of time to read and comment on so many blogs. Its just not realistic. Although I've enjoyed hearing all about your lives and interests via your blog and sharing mine, I don't actually know you and you don't know me. If I really needed someone to talk to, you are not physically here with me. My real friends are. I say this simply to give us all a reality check.

This past week I took a little break from blogging and a few days just from routine in general. I went to NYC and saw a Broadway play, took the horse rides around central park (touristy I know, but I'd never done it), went to an auction, took a little retreat for myself, wrote, went snow-shoeing, got my hair cut and a massage and facial, had some talks with friends, sang karaoke at a a bar, and went ice skating. It felt good to get away from the computer. The computer world is great, but we end up spending time being more sedentary because of it.

Last week I wrote a post about balance because I was feeling out of balance and was searching for a way to bring more to my life. My outer body has always been a mirror reflection of what is going on inside. If I'm too stressed, I gain weight, which happened to me in the craziness of grad school. But I've also gained weight this past year because I've gotten a little to sedentary due to my zealousness in computer time, given that I also work on the computer all day for work. Since January 1st, I've lost around 9 pounds and it feels great! I'm going to my first zumba class today as well, which I'm very excited for.

I hope that you all have more balance than I did in your relationship to blogging and if you feel that perhaps you don't, I do encourage you to read the post on balance and take some time to think about these things. I will still continue blogging because I do love it, although I will definitely be scaling down, setting a schedule, and keeping track of my time online. And I will continue to read many of your blogs as well even if I don't always comment.

One of my favorite quotes when I was growing up was the following:

Anyway, as I enter my second year of blogging, I look forward to still connecting with you and I think it would especially wonderful if I was able to meet some of you in real life at some point. I know that some of you actually have and do get together with other bloggers and blog conferences and I think that is great. The thing I love about 'meeting' all of you via this virtual world is that I never would have met you in real life.. our paths never would have crossed - and I love what I've learned from you and about your lives. Lets just all have a healthy approach to blogging and not make it more important than the many other aspects of our lives.

A Whole Lot More Balance,

Adrienne

A Matter of Balance

Balance. I've been thinking a lot lately about what this means and how to achieve more of it in my daily life.

A number of years ago I came across the Hopi Indian word Koyaanisqatsi, which means 'crazy life, life in turmoil, life out of balance, life disintegrating, a state of life that calls for another way of living'. The Hopi also have a rock drawing that shows two paths that man can take: one is of upward mobility - that of technology and success but separate from natural and spiritual law - and it leads to these jagged lines representing chaos. The lower path is a simple one that remains in harmony with natural law. They believe that if we continue on the upper path, we will come to destruction, but if we follow the lower path, we will regain balance and paradise once more. When I read about these concepts I had just finished an intense graduate program at a prestigious university to which I had been commuting two hours one-way. To say it was a 'crazy life, life out of balance, a state that calls for another way of living' is an understatement.

I started to look around. We are all living at such a fast pace. And when we do, how do we find time for the stillness of life? That place where we find quiet depth and peace? We cram in a quick latte before the hectic drive to work… we jostle for the best position on the commuter train and ignore our neighbor… we scan our blackberry sixty times a day to tell us what we are actually doing in a day stuffed with so many activities we can’t possibly keep track of them… we multi-task using cell-phones, wireless laptops, and blackberries to accomplish what three people would otherwise do to impress our boss and keep our job… we organize then reorganize our spouse’s and children’s daily activities so they don’t get bored… We are a whole planet careering toward burn-out.

I began to think, 'what am I doing this for? Is it so that others can see my accomplishments? Is it to satisfy my own ego?' And so I gave it up - the plans I had made and the career I had chosen - and I haven't glanced back since. To quote Frost, I've taken the path less traveled and that has made all the difference. Since then, I've been on a quest for greater balance and living a life that is more mindful and connected - for although I had chosen the path away from turmoil and crazy living, it was still just the first steps on a journey of discovery that I am still on.

Finding balance is like tuning an instrument. If you are too high-strung, not only will the music not sound right, but your cords are likely to snap. If you are too slack no music can be made at all. In this uni-verse (the one song of all life), we are each called to sing the melody of our lives - each is different and yet it should hopefully be in harmony with the rest of the song.

In his four-part series called “Sacred Balance”, Dr. David Suzuki made an interesting discovery when he had his heart tested with Dr. Ari Goldberger, a Cardiologist at Harvard. When Goldberger mapped Suzuki’s healthy heart tracing to musical notes, what he revealed was that the healthy heart actually finds its own shifting harmony. What emerged was a dancing symphony of complex variability. When Goldberger contrasted the healthy heart tracing with one of a patient who had suffered heart failure, the tuneful variability collapsed into a monotonic repetitious drone. “Health represents a remarkable balance between excessive order on the one hand—things being over-structured—and complete randomness on the other, where there’s physiological anarchy. Healthy systems like to be there; they don’t sit still. They’re always fidgeting. They’re ready for everything.”

Finding balance doesn't mean doing yoga all day and chanting. It doesn't mean shutting yourself off from the world and your daily tasks. It means living a life of connection to all things and people around you and joyfully participating in it. If you've read the book or seen the movie Eat, Pray, Love, I think it truly illustrates the concept of finding balance. She realized her life was in turmoil and she choose a different path. In Italy, she indulged her senses - although perhaps a little too much and she had to buy bigger jeans! In India, she spent her days tucked away and found her connection with God. In Bali, she found balance between these two and she found love.

When I think about balance, I think about dance. Balance is not simply about walking a fine line or tight rope. It is about moving in such a way that is pleasing and joyful both to you and to those around you. And there are many ways of dancing - whether it be ballet, hip hop, stomp, jazz, tap, acrobatics or gymnastics or some kind of modern funky thing that I don't have a name for. But dance is always creative and inspiring. When someone is dancing, I can't help but look at them.

Sometimes I don't realize I'm out of balance until I start complaining or feeling sad. Then I have to look at what I've been doing (or not doing) that is putting me in that state. Emotions are good indicators to ourselves of the healthiness of our lives. Just like we need certain things to keep our bodies healthy, we also need certain things to keep a balanced life. The following are three keys to finding balance. I didn't write this part, but I couldn't have said it better.



Quiet time.
One of the first things we tend to sacrifice when we’re busy is our personal time. Instead we devote all of our energy and attention to caring for others, multi-tasking, meeting responsibilities and “being productive.” Over time this depletes our energy and we begin to feel more and more burdened by our responsibilities.
To live a more balanced life, quiet time to yourself is crucial. You may believe that you don’t have any time available for yourself, but something amazing happens when you consistently make time. Soon you’ll find yourself feeling happier and more energetic, your focus improves and you still get plenty done! Just a few minutes spent sitting quietly in meditation or reading a book can do wonders in transforming stress into peace and happiness.

Self-care.
Beyond making time for things you enjoy, there are other ways to nurture and love yourself on a daily basis. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep (or as much as you personally need) is a great start, as well as eating nutritious food, exercising daily and speaking kindly to yourself.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re really tired or stressed, even the smallest problem can seem like a nightmare? On the other hand, when you’re feeling well-rested and centered, you’re much better able to handle upsets. Caring for yourself is one sure way to consistently replenish your energy, inner peace and joy – which means you’ll have the strength to handle whatever comes your way.

Flexibility.
Did you know that one of the biggest causes of stress is rigid expectations? We all do it from time to time. We get a mental picture of how our lives “should be” and get really annoyed when our circumstances don’t cooperate! One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is a flexible state of mind. In other words, learn how to detach from unrealistic expectations and go with the flow.
When you have a flexible mind-set, you’re able to deal with crises and problems much more easily because you’re not working against a preconceived notion of how things “should be”. You’re able to tap into your creative problem-solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and frustration. Be like the tree that bends with the breeze and you’ll be less likely to break.

These inner changes can make a dramatic difference in your state of well-being, but you may also want to examine your life circumstances and see if there are other small changes you can make to help support you overall. For example, you might choose to let go of certain obligations that are no longer meaningful or enjoyable to you. Be willing to let go of activities that no longer complement the lifestyle you desire, and you’ll create a space for greater fulfillment, joy and peace.

I hope you have a lovely and peaceful day!

A Whole Lotta Balance,

Adrienne