Throwback Thursday: Change Toward Balance!

Again, a season of change is upon us.  Children and teachers are soon to go back to school; the weather is soon to go back to cold; the holidays are soon to hit the market and department store shelves; the menu is soon to move from the grill to the oven.  Change can be a looming cloud avoided by ceilings and shutters or can be welcomed with love and gratitude.  I'll throw this back to September 26, 2013, for further illumination.

Throwback Thursday:  Change Toward Balance.

Homeostasis; the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, esp. as maintained by physiological processes (good ol' Webster's Dictionary). Balance. An equal relationship between give and take, exercise and ease, joy and judgement, work and play, food and elimination. What goes in must come out! What goes up must come down! One hand washes the other!    So why does the word 'balance' stress us out?

The first response to change, or to the suggestion that balance is needed, is naturally defensive.  "My house is in order, I just had a stressful week!  Normally, everything is fine!"  Self reflection might reveal no time for breakfast, two bowel movements a week, poor sleep and a hectic work or education schedule leaving very little time for play, but if that is 'normal' then everything might very well be perceived as fine.  We all defend our existence, our choices, our position in the world we live within.  In fact, it would be abnormal if we didn't.  It is important, though, to identify what we are defending.

The second response to change is naturally resistance.  If the life lived now is normal, no matter how dissatisfying, changing it means unsteadying the ship.  There is comfort in expectation; knowing what will happen if you do what is expected, or knowing what will happen if you don't.  Sometimes resistance occurs simply because of fear of what is unknown, which is where the statement, "That is the way I've always done it!" comes from.  Change toward balance means learning a new behavior or recipe or routine which might make you nervous.  It might be important to evaluate why feeling nervous, nervous meaning a feeling of unease or apprehension, is equated with 'bad'.

The third response to a suggestion of change is feeling overwhelmed.  "If I change this, then I have to change that, which means others will be effected and I might face adversity, which will cause me stress and unease so I will just keep things they way they are no matter how dissatisfying they are to me."  Chances are, if your surroundings and routine are dissatisfying to you, they are likely dissatisfying to the others directly effected by the current state of 'normal'.  Let me assure you, dear reader, change toward balance is not as overwhelming and stressful as you imagine.   Change toward balance is actually stress relieving, time freeing and love making!  

Here is how to begin: Add something and discontinue believing that change means taking something away.  Change toward balance is not a graduation from a bottle to a cup, a pacifier to a blanket, a blanket to a big-kid-bed, a hall-light to a night-light.  Change toward balance is the antithesis to the child instilled meaning of change, or graduation from the known to the new unknown.  Change toward balance is the act of mindfully and intentionally adding what you intelligently identify as absent, which in effect balances the boat.  While you digest the thought, eat real, naturally occurring foods, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins and, as always, remember to wash your hands. That's a good balance!

Anna~

If you would like a coach to support you through this season of change, schedule a free consultation with me today and we'll identify how to get started!  Anna Burrill, Your Health Coach!

Throw Back Thursday: Are Labels Healthy?

From April 9th, 2013, which was actually a Tuesday, but I like the message so much it is worth tagging in a Thursday Throwback~

Let's be realistic.  There is no need to sugar coat or complicate the fact that we all apply labels to the people around us and to ourselves.  They are automatic.  She is beautiful.  He is Successful.  She is a Failure.  He is a Con Artist.  I am Angry.  You are Perfect.  My sister is a Health-nut!  All of theses thoughts and words go through our heads and out of our mouths daily.  We are Labelers!

Labels are one of three things: harmful, helpful, or indifferent.  If you keep your labels to yourself they probably fall into the indifferent category, but you may be placing these labels in order to empower or disempower yourself; harmful.  "I am thinner than her, so I'm okay."  "She is much more successful than I, so I must be a failure!"  We label to quantify and categorize objects (in this case, people) in order to rhetorically place ourselves between them on an imaginary, ever changing totem pole of assumption.

Helpful labels encourage others while they encourage ourselves.  If you are placing labels on others to make them feel better while making yourself feel worse, stop.  Compliments and positive observations are important.  So is constructive criticism.  Give others a boost.  Pay others compliments.  Be observant of an other's abilities and empower them to expose their talents to the world.  But, while you lift others up, do not compare your own abilities and talents to theirs.  If an other possesses a talent or ability it is worthy of recognition.  Period.

Harmful labels are completely unnecessary.  Assigning a detrimental label to another  in order to control or contain an other's success or happiness is just plain mean.  Placing limiting labels on yourself that contain or inhibit your own happiness interrupts growth!  Don't do that!  We all, at one time or another, succeed.  We all fail.  We all lie, we con, we help, we dream, we yell, we soar.  Does that mean I am a Liar?  No.  A Failure? No.  A Dreamer?  I don't think that applies either.

Remember, the labels we apply to others and to ourselves allow a behavior to be acceptable.  If you have labeled yourself as Shy you have given yourself permission to be Shy.  Don't like the label?  Undo it by choosing to be more out-going when the opportunity presents itself.   Wondering how your label reads?  Introduce yourself to someone new...  and listen to the words that come out of your mouth.  You will be face to face with the labels you wear and you can then decide if they fit or if they don't.

You know what to do...  and remember to wash your hands.

Anna~