The whole goal of Balance in All Things is so I can better identify when I start to get out of balance. If I detect it early, I can make a minor correction to my life and carry on with little impact. Unfortunately, it usually takes a major issue to crop up before I realize how out of balance I am and by then there are repercussions that typically need to be dealt with. The trick, of course, is knowing when I am veering off course. It would be great if there were a device I could buy, say a life compass that would start blinking as my balance wanes.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a life compass so I need to hone my skills of observation. Of course the more harried life becomes the harder it is to take time out to look around and see if there is something I need to be aware of. The good news is that this is a normal human reaction, but the bad news is that ultimately it is not healthy. So it becomes important to look around at a regular basis and determine whether or not you are in balance, basically take occasional readings.

When I was in Boy Scouts I experienced a great analogy for this. We were learning about orienteering which is navigating across terrain using a map and compass. Let’s say you are standing out in the wilderness somewhere and you decide that you want to walk over to a specific tree. The way is a flat grassy plain so there are no obstructions, but the walk is a little long, let’s say 100 yards. You aim your body at the tree, look down at your feet, and start walking. After you go fifty yards, you look up and discover that while you thought you were walking a straight line, at some point you moved slightly off the path you wanted to walk and now you must make a correction to get to the tree. The straight line you had hoped you would be on has now turned into a triangle and it will take you longer to get to where you want.

So you have a couple of choices, you can either look up on occasion and get your bearings, or you can use a compass to keep you on the correct path. Either way you will make the various minute corrections to stay on to the right path instead of the large zigzag pattern you would make if you just walked with your head down.

So it is important to take regular checks on your progress and see if something is throwing you out of balance. If it is, is this something that will end soon or does corrective action need to be taken? As long as you are honest in your observations and continue to keep track of where you are, you should be able to deal with whatever the intrusion is with little impact.

Occasionally though, life throws a big intrusion into your life that immediately throws you wildly out of balance. In that case it is good to know where you were before then so that you have a frame of reference to keep yourself grounded and guided while you deal with whatever it is. Keeping track of these kinds of milestones is an excellent way to see how far you have come.

So pick your head up every once in a while and take a look around you. If you need to make any course corrections, do so immediately and take solace in the fact that you have just avoided more drama in your life.