Balance, grasshopper

When I was taking Kung Fu, one thing my master always insisted upon was not just physical balance but mental/spiritual balance. When I had first started studying Kung Fu I was really excited about it and wanted to quit my other activities to focus solely on it. I was even considering quitting my band, and when I discussed this with Master Ron he said i should stick to doing other things as well, and that I needed to balance my life out. Ever since then balance has been a major theme in my life, or at least in my conscious mind alot, and as it is something I strive for, it is also something that eludes me often.

Over the last few years with the advent of more advanced mobile technology, we find ourselves connected to everything 100% of the time. Work no longer stays at work, but follows us wherever we go, and in addition to that, we are conditioning ourselves to yearn for the quick distraction of checking email, facebook or twitter, even when we are at home eating dinner with our families, or playing with our kids. I know I do, and I have recently begun to catch myself before my wife reminds me I’m not at work, or calls me a Facebook junkie. It annoys her and I understand why. In fact all you have to do is google something like “technology ruined relationships” and you’ll see plenty of results that describe lives out of balance. I don’t know why balance is so hard, but I’m trying to make a point of putting the smartphone or iPad down so I don’t check it while I’m playing with my daughter or hanging out with my wife.

It aint easy, but if I want to find balance and have a happier, more connected family life, I need to disconnect more from the outside world. It’s simple really……