The Balanced Reflections

It was one fine morning like usual days, little did I realise, how different this day would turn out to be. I never could imagine, it would be a day of reflection, a day which would give me a new “Mantra” to follow for life.

1)      First person I met was my new Gym instructor, who was supposed to be detailing my exercise plan for the coming months . I was excited for the new instructor looked experienced and I had read good reviews about her. And there she opened her notebook and said, you need to add exercises to strengthen your body, not just to lose weight, besides cardio, we will add exercises for core, legs, shoulders,  knees etc. I still remember her  last sentence , “To avoid problems in future, you need to have a balanced regime”.

I was happy at a good day start and obviously elated that I choose the right gym and instructor.

2)      Post exercise, I met the dietician and in summary he told me post the detailed analysis that  my eating habits need correction and would need to have all nutrients and not leave the claimed culprit fat and carbohydrates they are essential for body energy and specially brain. I got a detailed diet chart with targets for each month and was told “For a healthy body it is critical to have a balanced diet” .

Though obvious to all of us, but I still liked increased emphasis on such critical point, what a fine dietician, I thought !!

3)      Back home, morning chaos, getting ready for the day’s rigour and my daughter while getting ready for school, is worried that she has not finished her chemistry project as in her excitement to create art work for school annual magazine cover, she spent the whole night painting and re-painting the same, only to later remember in the morning that the grades for art work is supplementary and her main subject is science and she will lose out on its project grades. Now, being mother of a teenager, I had promised myself not give advices unless mission critical and I was quiet though, it was difficult to be! Here she comes and says, “Mom I wish I could have planned my work better, I am not going to score well in science now. Had I prioritised my time across all subjects, my grades would have been balanced across all supplementary and main subjects”

Yay! she is growing responsible and admitting her mistakes, my parenting technique is working and happily I head to office.  

4)      Off to work preparing my to-do list, with my usual 20+ things to do in a day. I remember the training I underwent last week and trainer said if you have more than 5 things in your list, it is not effective, you need to be able to clearly identify critical ones and best way to do is to divide them in strategic and tactical tasks. So, here I am, making two lists and as I am remembering my training lessons, I am mentally visualising to ensure both the list are more or less equal… as my trainer said “ balance your to-do list”

I am getting there, using the techniques learnt in training, it should help I think to myself!!

5)      Almost mid-day and I am in employee interaction session, meeting experienced professionals hearing their ideas on what we can do different. They all are high performers and wanting to make it big in corporate world and have families and most of them have young kids at home as well. It is an interesting meeting and good flow of ideas, when one of the gentleman sitting quietly so far in the corner says, “Adopting best practices from the industry,  we need to find some solutions and strive towards ensuring our professionals get the best of both professionals and personal lives, we need to have a good work-life balance” 

 

       Agreed, I think he has a valid point here and we should work towards it !!

 

6)     The next meeting is a 3 hour session with our planning board to discuss the budget for coming year. We have all our details handy with all complex excel sheets, demand and supply assumptions, it is a healthy conversation. We are almost in final stages of presentation when a senior member says , “We understand your plan, however,  all growth assumptions are based on only two key products and one key market, it is not a diversified plan. Please resubmit your plan to insulate against market fluctuations, and we need a more balanced plan across geographies and products “

Point well taken, businesses investments need to be divided well enough between high growth opportunities as well maintaining existing market positions.

 

7)      On the way back home in my reflective mood, I stop to pick coffee from my favourite corner cafe and meet a senior citizen couple, have known them for years. They appear to be conversing on a serious matter, I just say a hello and not wanting to disturb them as I am walking out, they call out my name and ask me to sit with them for some time. Though tired, I sit with them as they share their dilemma ”Our two kids are in different countries and both of them want us to come to their respective place for our 50^th anniversary celebration. We don’t want to say no to either of them as it might hurt their feelings, we want to maintain cordial relationships and harmonious balance in the family, how do we resolve this?”

Hmmm !! not knowing how to solve their situation, I move out but I think I am getting to what the day’s incidences are telling me.

 

8)     Back home, we are all watching news and there is an earthquake in Mexico . Huge causalities and many rendered homeless. The news talk show anchor is taking the lead and discussing with panel of experts who share that “ Earthquakes are caused by movement of earth’s tectonic plates which are placed on one another and when they move, earthquakes occur. The visual in the news depicts when plates’ balance is moved, earthquakes occurs” 

With this disturbing news, I switch off the television but I think I got it …..its all about the BALANCE

A day which started with excitement of a new gym, reflected upon me the biggest lesson, which I knew subtly but not so obviously… be it in any sphere of life, personal or professional. Any situation, business or family, any age group, children or senior citizen or as the basis of our existence, Nature, everything is based on the right Balance…

We spent most of our life attaining the right balance. I don’t know, if there is an ideal balance which is applicable to all in all situations, but I for sure understand now that to achieve the famous balance is a journey, a journey of prioritisation, a journey of pain, a journey of pleasure and above all a journey of one’s self –realization.