There’s a common complaint I hear from a wide array of people. They’ll state this complaint in different ways, and experience it somewhat differently, but it boils down to this: their lives are out of balance. They have some of one thing, but not nearly enough of another. They feel off kilter; lopsided, both overfull and strangely empty. An old Indian proverb says that “everyone is a house with four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time but, unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we’re not a complete person.” Pretty basic wisdom, right? I think failing to routinely and intentionally visit each of these rooms is often behind our feeling of disorientation.
We’re strangely unaware that simple disciplines of attention to these various conditions can restore the experience of balance to a remarkable degree. Given we’re on the cusp of a new year and you likely could use a fresh take on things, why not jot these four words on a sticky note--physical, mental, emotional and spiritual--and place it where you’ll see it each day as a reminder... Maybe the bathroom mirror or computer screen. Exercise this small discipline and you’ll be surprised how soon they become second nature and hard to forget.
And friends, may hope, love and gratitude, abound for you in this new year.
