Finding balance


The other night, I was perusing Pinterest and stumbled upon TED Talks. Have you ever done this? For just about any topic you can imagine, there are short talks available. Exhausted from work, I spent most of an evening surfing and watching.

So, when I found “Five TED Talks for when you’re ready to change your life”, I’m thinking – Yes please! And then, “11 Best TED Talks For When You Feel Like You’re Burning Out” – hey, that’s me. I continued clicking.

I watched a man speak about taking a year off from work, and how he realized the importance of spending time with his family and not allowing corporations to set the definition of balance. How to Make Work-Life Balance Work

Another talk suggests that we shouldn’t be seeking balance, but living off-balance on purpose.

I came across an interesting talk explaining why some people don’t have one true calling in life. So yeah, cool, I am a “mulitpotentialite”!  I just need to figure out what to do with this little tidbit. Why some of us don’t have one true calling

And then, just for kicks, I watched a woman speak about the “ten-item wardrobe” – thinking to myself, yeah right…

So, here’s the thing – I truly enjoyed these short talks, but I’m pretty sure that I don’t need to take a year off from work to understand what is most important to me. And while they weren’t the “how-to” talks I thought I was looking for (like – how did that man manage to leave work for a year?), they lit a spark within me. As I am anticipating my work taking an ugly turn (I may be feeling overly pessimistic), that ever elusive “work-life balance” is rearing its ugly head again. And then – as a multipotentialite, how do I fit photography, yoga, cycling, blogging, and all the many, many things that I have yet to learn, into my current work-a-day life?

So, no – I have no answers – yet – but these talks did get my thought process started. And then, awakening at 2 am, an idea came to me – the insight I seek is quite likely hidden somewhere in the notion of a ten-item wardrobe. Go figure. To be continued…

ted.com – this is actually a pretty fun site to get lost in, whatever your interests may be.

Do you have any hints or tricks for maintaining balance in your life?

 

 

 

(photos from my archives – still waiting for Spring :-))


7 responses to “Finding balance”

  1. Lisa Gordon Avatar

    These sound great, Karen (thank you for sharing!!).
    Nope, the “Ten-Item Wardrobe” is definitely not for me. Truly beyond an impossibility!! 🙂

    For me, the trick to finding balance is knowing that I will never truly find it. For the most part, life is quite balanced here in my world, but I know there will come times when everything goes completely haywire. The saving grace is knowing that all will return to “normal.” Also, I know that I have way too many interests to be completely balanced all of the time, and then it becomes a choice thing…be balanced or give up some of my interests. Being balanced loses every time!

    Happy day to you, my friend!

  2. Lynne Avatar

    Ted Talk Inspirations have been floating around here for a few years . . .
    Thanks to my Mister Irish . . .

    Finding daily life balance can be a daunting task . . . some days . . . for me . . .
    Maybe why I grabbed cinema popcorn, drove to Lake Michigan and looked and listened and expected less . . .
    Wonderful Finding Balance Afternoon . . .

    Loving your new Gingham Notebook creation . . .
    Now I need to find out how to be following you . . .

  3. Jeevan Avatar

    That’s interesting about the short talk and let me listen to few to see how it’s inspiring and ignite ideas. I believe in balance and I don’t think one need to leave something quite to achieve some other… priorities and passion make one decide and in case of no option of survival work is better than anything.

    Lovely capture on balanced stones!

  4. Beatrice P. Boyd Avatar

    I often listen to TED talks through a podcast app and have found many to be informative and inspirational. And, if you just want amusement you can find some Ted talks on that topic as well. Just look up James Veitch and either listen to his talk(s) or watch him deliver a TED talk on YouTube.

  5. Michelle B Avatar

    The TED talks I have listened to have been very good. I searched (you probably already did) top 10 TED talks and came across talks I probably wouldn’t have watched, but enjoyed. I remember liking Elizabeth Gilbert’s and Brene Brown’s talk. I can’t remember her name right now….but the lady who wrote the book ‘Stroke of Insight’ had a really good talk too. I will have to check out the ones you listed. I love your images. Whenever I come across cairns I wonder who stacked them? Maybe it was a guy that took a year off work… 🙂

  6. Debbie Avatar

    never heard of ted talks, but i am anxious to check it out…(one more thing to add to my doodling time, as if i need another)!!! i have no advice on maintaining balance in one’s life. i work, i play, i have many hobbies and often i photograph the birds instead of working or cleaning the house. i have tried setting a “time for this” schedule, setting time aside each day to do the things i enjoy, it didn’t work. if you figure it out, let me know!!

    i love these pictures, i don’t remember them!!!

  7. Carola Bartz Avatar

    I’ve seen – or listened to – some of the TED talks and some I found very inspiring. I will listen into the “true calling” one because I lack that as well. I don’t think these talks etc truly have an answer to our own situation, but hopefully they inspire us.
    And when it comes to work-life balance – I only work part time. I have deliberately chosen to do so even if that means there are things we cannot afford. I work in a high school, and during the end and the beginning of each school year I work full time. It wears me out… I am more than ready for the school year to end, but before it does there will be mayhem. And certainly no balance…

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