Living a Balanced Life - The Real Juggling Act

I just read an installment from another self-improvement course that states that celebrities are unhappy because they don't have gratitude for what they have. I disagree.

Have you ever had a time when you were making a good living, lived in a nice place, drove a nice car, took trips, had everything you needed and more - and yet you were still unhappy?

It wasn't that you were ungrateful for what you had, just something seemed wrong. You weren't fulfilled, or some-thing, but you couldn't quite figure out what the problem was? Maybe you're in a situation like that now. You feel like you should be happy, who wouldn't given all that you have, but you're not.

It simply means that your life is out of balance. Something has been shoved under the rug and forgotten about. It might be spending quality time with family or friends, or even just by yourself. It might be that you're not eating well enough to keep your body balanced. It might be that even though you make a good living, you don't love what you do.

If you look at the life of a celebrity, you can understand why they would be so unhappy. Their lives are totally out of balance. They spend years on the road. They don't have the time for important relationships and recreational time. They're always under pressure to be the "star".

Think about how you feel when you've put in a lot of hours at work and then have no energy left to give to your family. You don't have the energy to eat a good meal or get the exercise you need in order to have more energy.

People are on the never-ending treadmill trying to get money. But money itself will not make you happy. life is a delicate balance of relationships, emotions, desires, and responsibilities to others as well as to yourself.

What do you really need to live a balanced life?

A clean, safe, calm Home to retreat to - your escape from the rest of the world where you can let your hair down and be yourself.

A healthy diet and exercise to stay fit, healthy, trim and full of energy.

Self-Care, whether it be reading, meditation, prayer, soaking in a hot tub, a new hairstyle, new clothes, you need to take care of your personal needs. It's not selfish. It's necessary. Remember the old saying "If Momma's not happy, then no one's happy"? There's a lot of truth in that.

Loving relationships. As much as some people swear they are happy being alone, we need human companionship to feel alive and part of the world.

Quality time with family and friends. Everyone thrives when you take the time to enjoy the important people in your life. Even if you're a workaholic like me, make sure to set aside time everyday for important relationships. You think that if you do all the work now, you can make it up to them later when you've made it. Most of the time by the time you've made it, the important people in your life have left. It happens all the time.

A way to support all of the above. Yep, that's where the money comes in. But it's more than that. It has to be some-thing you like doing, or every workday will seem like a prison sentence.

Dreams and goals. Without something to strive for, something to live for, we end up in a tedious existence. We need something that keeps the fire going - no matter how old you are. How many people have you known who reached retirement only to spend the rest of their days in front of the television?

Faith. It takes many forms throughout your life. Faith in your God, faith in yourself, faith in your kids. You'll find many times in your