Musings: Balance is Elusive

In the world we live and work in, there is much out there that is out of our control. This last month has been a perfect example for me.

I spent a good part of October in Europe attending two separate conferences – one in Italy and one in England. Though I was able to carve out eight days to vacation in Rome and Tuscany, it had to end abruptly as I had to fly back to San Diego to speak at a very important event for TKF: the Heart of the Samurai event by Klemmer & Associates. It was good for me to be back as we were able to raise a significant amount of donations for TKF that night, thanks to the wonderful support of Klemmer & Associates and the loving support TKF receives from many of Klemmer’s graduates. Although Brian Klemmer passed away April 2011, he and all at Klemmer continue to remain in my heart, thoughts and prayers. So my heartfelt thanks to all of you.Four days after returning to San Diego I had to fly to Zurich to present at a conference in nearby Germany. Four days later I flew back home. Whew. The stress and the extensive travel manifested into shingles the day I arrived back from Zurich – ouch! This is one of the most physically painful experiences one can have as an adult. As I write this two weeks later, while the lesions have gone, the pain continues to compromise my days and rob me of my energy. I am usually very tired by early evening. On top of that last Tuesday I spent four hours interviewing with NBC, which is recording a one-hour national show on the TKF story to be aired on the Discovery Channel and other networks in the spring of next year.While leaving the NBC studios – tired from travel, in pain from shingles, and having relived the pain of the past – I drove away from the valet without knowing my cell phone was on top of my car. It stayed there until I was on the freeway when I saw it fly off while traveling north on Interstate 5 at 65 miles an hour. Of course I turned around to look for it on the freeway, but it was nowhere to be found. The good thing is all the information was backed up on my desktop so I was back in business with a new cell phone in about 12 hours.So … with such a life – the travel, the losses and stress … how does one achieve balance? How can one have balance in a life that is so crazy, busy and froth with stress?  In all this craziness what has kept me sane, maintaining a good attitude? Simply, it is my consistent practice of meditation. I normally meditate two hours a day but during this last several weeks, I have added several more hours based on the day. I feel blessed that this ability to meditate and connect with spirit and the higher power has seen me through, and continues to keep me functioning and smiling.

I know that all of us are working much too hard to survive in this difficult economy, and many are feeling the shift as our planet goes through the evolutionary transformation after some 2000 years. As I have written in the past, this shift may be frightening for many of us. Beside the fiscal cliff in our economy, many of us also find ourselves at the precipice of a personal cliff. It is like being at a chasm with a bottomless end that we must cross. It can be daunting and requires much courage and faith. While these virtues do not reside in our intellect which can not process sanely how one crosses the chasm, I do believe they do reside in our spirit. Having the faith and the courage will be necessary attributes to help us make the crossing and end up on higher ground.

As the holidays approach and the year comes to an end, I am pleased that I don’t have any major international travel for the rest of the year and can focus on regaining my health and balance. It has been a busy but good year with a lot of amazing work that was accomplished around the globe. However – the Universe is definitely sending a message that I must find a way to slow down in 2013 and look seriously at simplifying my life. Often we learn that “less is more.” For my friends that have achieved this balance in their lives I am all ears for ideas. Perhaps the sharing of all our ideas with each other is what can bring balance to all of us, as a community that cares for its own.

My very best wishes to you and your loved ones for a very happy, joyous, blessed and a safe Thanksgiving holiday.