Balancing Act

(Watercolor study of bull and rider - 12" x 9")

Can you just sense how precarious this moment is for the bull rider? He has got to maintain his balance with just one hand hold on the rope for a full 8 seconds.  It has been termed the most dangerous 8 seconds in sport!  

Sometimes our lives can feel like a desperate balancing act.  We have a 24 hour period in which to earn a living, maintain relationships, deal with issues of health, economics, be involved in volunteering or aiding our fellowman, work on projects, and deal with the unexpected things life throws at us.  How do we keep all the plates spinning without a crash along the way?

Life can be a real balancing act.  Here are some thoughts to encourage you along the way in that endeavor:

1.  Know where your center of gravity is.

What is it that keeps you from tipping to one side or the other and getting off balance?  What is that core base that holds things together in your life?  Keep centered on that.  Make that the essential priority in your full life.  For me and many others, we find that a daily time spent with God in His Word provides the calm in the eye of life's hurricanes.  What is important for Him will help us prioritize what really matters for us in a given day.  Our lives will contain a stability with that focus.

(Bighorn Sheep sculpture by Dan Ostermiller at Lauritzen Gardens-Omaha, NE)

2.  Maintain a sensitive awareness for adjustments.

As you go through your days, keep an internal monitoring in operation of all the things that you are attempting to balance in your life.  Maintain a sensitive analysis of what is and is not working in your seeking to lead a balanced life.  Stay fluid in your ability to make adjustments so that you are not overextended.  Stay in ready stance so you are not easily pushed off base by over-committing yourself beyond what you can take on without added stress.  I love that acronym of KISS...Keep It Simple, Stupid!  That's a blunt but to-the-point adage.  It goes a long way to staying in balance!

(Bear sculpture by Dan Ostermiller, Lauritzen Gardens-Omaha, NE)

3.  Get right back up in the saddle again when you lose balance and fall.  

Thinking that we can do it all, have it all, and keep our balance in life is a myth.  We often lead messy lives and are far from perfect.  So don't waste time bemoaning the mistakes and how you may have mishandled things.  Asses the damage, seek to understand better, make necessary adjustments, grow, and keep on riding!  I love this old quote from King Alfred the Great:  "Whisper it to your saddle bow and keep on riding!"

Front Row Seat

36" x 30"

Oil

Here's an update photo of the three dogs I am working on:

Live bravely and beautifully!