Many of us are guilty of it - neglecting family, friends, lovers, partners, children for the need to obtain more dollars or value in our careers - working long hours, missing important dates, events or even forgetting how to smile, laugh and play. Heck I am just as guilty of this as the next person. From creating pain, anguish, hurt, neglect with previous partners as they have done to me and family has also done. Meaning and caring for them at a distance, yet meeting their needs to have fun and time together.

Sometimes, it takes something so simple to awaken us up to what is really important to us and it comes in many shapes and forms.

Yes - we do need to survive whilst we are learning to trust the universe about money, love and finances. Some learn this from an early age, whilst others learn it later in life. It also depends on ones focus! This one thing I am still learning to do daily. Missing my HOP really messes me I have found.

So I ask all of you vibesters,

what is more important to you - work, play, family, friends, lovers, partners?

How do you find the balance in life without hurting or offending the ones that you love and matter to you? So you can fulfill your life and fulfill theirs.

It's a challenge - yet many of you are doing this and many of us are looking for tips to create this balance in our lives. :confused: :hmm:

Many of us are guilty of it for neglecting family, friends, lovers, partners, children for the need to obtain more dollars or value in our careers - working long hours, missing important dates, events or even forgetting how to smile, laugh and play. Heck I am just as guitly as doing this to previous partners as they have done to me and fmaily has.

Yes - we do need to survive whilst we are learning to trust the universe about money, love and finances.

So I ask all of you vibesters,

what more important to you - work, play, family, friends, lovers, partners?

How do you find the balance in life without hurting or offending the ones that you love and matter to you?

It's a challenge - yet many of you are doing this and many of us are looking for tips to create this balance in our lives. :confused: :hmm:

Wow incredible i had this discussion with someone special today and we both agreed play family LOVE, lovers, partners Soul Mates the rest really doesnt matter.When we get sick or realy ill our jobs are not ther for us nor our possessions and when the one you love passes you will regret not doing more with them spending qualiy time.It is your partner who will be there for you hold your hand wipe your brow and nurture you back to health..i dont think i would ever feel like that leaving a job or contract or selling a possession.

:thumb: Great post Diva !

I regard this as my toughest challange every day but manage it with great pleasure.

My priorities in life are
1. Family
2. Lover/Partner
3. Kids
4. Work
5. Play
6. Rest

I Work 7-6 everyday with the odd late night or weekend shift thrown in then i play soccer 3 times per week and coach twice per week, though always make tme for my family around this as follows:

My wife and i have a tuesday evening to ourselves (awwooogaa:dance: ) as our kids stay with my parents every tuesday. We also spend the last 2 hours of every weekday together either reading or watching TV. We also share the home chores as we both work (of which i iron every sunday so i get to watch the footy !)

My son (8) comes to my football training and joins in with my coaching of a youth team. He Also plays proyouth and has a busy schedule though every friday evening i attend his training to spectate and as a family every saturday morning My wife, daughter and i attend his matches. Connor then goes to watch Celtic FC on Saturday Afternoons whilst i play my match and my Wife and daughter have girly time together for the day.

My daughter is only 2 so as yet she is not very demanding though i do spend at least 1 hour every evening getting her to sleep which i love.

Throw into this family swim night every saturday, family dvd night every sunday and Father/son nights where we stick up the tent in the livingroom or garden and camp out and every 3 weeks we go to the movies as a family.

I make a pointof always playing playstation with my son several times a week. An my wife takes care of home work each day at 4:00pm with him.

I feel its hard but the best feeling in the world to achieve this balance. It may not seem the best balance in the world but each family member is playing their passion, working/school and living as a close loving family at the same time.

Their was sacrifices which at the time (young father) were difficult, but looking back at giving up a night with the lads every weekend and five a sides. These have been replaced wth more fulfilling events such as family swim nights and husband/wife time.

My wife also works every friday evening in a pub which is not for money its part of her social life, i also attend a poker evening with the lads every month.

So we are all happy at present till her majesty throws in irish dancing then its rebalance time !

:thumb: Great post Diva !

I regard this as my toughest challange every day but manage it with great pleasure.

My priorities in life are
1. Family
2. Lover/Partner
3. Kids
4. Work
5. Play
6. Rest

I Work 7-6 everyday with the odd late night or weekend shift thrown in then i play soccer 3 times per week and coach twice per week, though always make tme for my family around this as follows:

My wife and i have a tuesday evening to ourselves (awwooogaa:dance: ) as our kids stay with my parents every tuesday. We also spend the last 2 hours of every weekday together either reading or watching TV. We also share the home chores as we both work (of which i iron every sunday so i get to watch the footy !)

My son (8) comes to my football training and joins in with my coaching of a youth team. He Also plays proyouth and has a busy schedule though every friday evening i attend his training to spectate and as a family every saturday morning My wife, daughter and i attend his matches. Connor then goes to watch Celtic FC on Saturday Afternoons whilst i play my match and my Wife and daughter have girly time together for the day.

My daughter is only 2 so as yet she is not very demanding though i do spend at least 1 hour every evening getting her to sleep which i love.

Throw into this family swim night every saturday, family dvd night every sunday and Father/son nights where we stick up the tent in the livingroom or garden and camp out and every 3 weeks we go to the movies as a family.

I make a pointof always playing playstation with my son several times a week. An my wife takes care of home work each day at 4:00pm with him.

I feel its hard but the best feeling in the world to achieve this balance. It may not seem the best balance in the world but each family member is playing their passion, working/school and living as a close loving family at the same time.

Their was sacrifices which at the time (young father) were difficult, but looking back at giving up a night with the lads every weekend and five a sides. These have been replaced wth more fulfilling events such as family swim nights and husband/wife time.

My wife also works every friday evening in a pub which is not for money its part of her social life, i also attend a poker evening with the lads every month.

So we are all happy at present till her majesty throws in irish dancing then its rebalance time !

Oh Mick, this sounds absolutely lovely. :loveit:

Great thread Diva :thumb:

My children/family are the most important to me. Nothing will ever top that.

My health

My partner (before he was my ex)

My job

It's almost impossible to find the right balance in life without hurting or offending someone. Just try to show them the best you can just how important they are to you and remember, actions speak louder than words :)

You certainly pose a number of in depth questions that many
of folks like us struggle with for years.

My mastery of the "balance in life" aspect still causes many
thoughts in my life and on-going discussions at home.

Having said all that, I would venture out and say a few
things. In seeking to discover ever illusionary "balance in
life," ...

1. I stive to listen to those close to me: especially my
wife.

2. I try to pay attention to any danger signals --
especially in any areas of weakness -- and make immediate
steps to correct what I can, as much as I can at the moment.
By way of example, when pushing it too hard at my place of
ministry I may take both "emotional/spiritual" breaks or
even even time off if needed.

3. At the expense of using a very over worked phrase (in my
opinion), I strive to listen to my heart. Again, by way of
example, I've felt I needed to do some cleaning out at the
office the other day for two reasons: (1) first, because it
drastically needs it; and (2) second because of the "mental
space" I know it will give me in the days ahead.

4. I try to be honest. Again, in evaluating some
disciplines needed in my life lately I reviewed my actions
and decided to move in the direction of needed change:
change that would, in fact, propel me in the direction of
more balance in terms of how I spend my time.

5. While evaluating, I seek to identify any untruthful or
false expectations I may be holding, see what is really
truth, and continually strive toward the realization of
attainable steps of action in a given direction.

6. I allow some flexibility when needed. Priorities and
situations change which force us to adapt to current
circumstances that demand our attention. In those cases I
feel being "out of balance" is not only acceptable -- it is
needed.

Again, by way of a more drastic example, my mom visited us
from several states away on December the 20th and on the
night she arrived she had a stroke. ER, nurses, doctors,
hospital rooms, physical therapists, nursing home reps and
almost constant communication with family members became the
norm. The "balance of life" in terms of the normal routines
were non-existent: which, of course, was totally okay.

There is a point here, however: change happens and
flexibility must be a part of our thinking in terms of
balance in any given week or month (at least in my opinion).

7. I keep trying. Small steps mean a lot to me and I work
hard at accepting those steps in truth, not down playing
their significance, yet equally not allowing the small step
to become what it should not be in terms of further growth.

8. I go to God in prayer: seeking His guidance, striving to
listen, and work on changes.

While not exhaustive by any means, those are some things
I've tried to do.

All the best in the world to you and those you love,

Lee

__

Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that nothing is more important than the important people in our lives.

If they are neglected, what are you doing the rest for anyway?

If you HAVE no important people in your life, ask yourself why that is? Are you purposely pushing them away? Are you unwittingly pushing them away? Are you not ready to "go deep" as is sometimes required when you have important people in your life? Are you a loner by nature? If not, then you are doing something wrong and need a little soul searching.

Jennifer

Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that nothing is more important than the important people in our lives. Jennifer
:yup: :yup: :yup:

And it's not so much how much time I am spending with them, it's the quality of the time that I spend with them.

Somebody said the other day, you can be with somebody for an hour and that person will still feel alone, how does that happen? By you being there but not being present for/with them.


That being said, I think everything in our lives that is important to us IS important, and should be given the priority it deserves. I know that scheduling helps me find the balance that I need.

Differing viewpoint............

At different points in your life, different things will be "most" important. Many people will put the spouse reallyyy high- and 5 years later, get a divorce. Those with little kids will put children really high- until they get to the 20's. Then they have their own life; and if they turn out to be drug addicted theives that you can't trust wih a key to your house (hey- stuff happans), you still love them- but you have to set "boundaries". (We have a friend dealing with that right now....)

Younger people put more emphasis on career and love- older people on the legacy (generalizations there.....) that they leave. A Trump is all about his deals; but Gates, Buffet, Turner and the like have shifted priorities. So it is my opinion that your life is fluid- and priorities, demands and desires will change what is "most" important.


My thoughts...........

Great responses so far everyone! :thumb:

A flower knows it's purpose.... to bloom. In order for it to realize that purpose it must have the right balance of fertilizer, sun, shade and water. Too much or not enough of any of these and the flower cannot fulfill it's purpose.

To me, we are like the flower. In order for us to bloom we need to find the right balance between work, family friends, and community. In order to achieve real success we need to maintain our balance physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.

Have a fantastic day! :tiphat:
gm