Success And Balance

The universe takes and gives everything you didn’t know you needed. These prompts are an invitation to step inside yourself and explore what balance means to you. Rupi Kaur

My mother taught me a balance exercise by watching her. I would go to visit and she would be standing on one leg and whistling at the kitchen sink while washing dishes.

I told her once, “You look just like a pink flamingo standing there!” She laughed and said that there are lots of balance exercises but this is the one she does most often. She used to exercise with Jack and Elaine Lalanne.

I enjoy sharing 3 of her exercises with people I train with. She went on to say how as we age we start to lose our balance. Kids can stand on one leg forever. Pretty soon we lose balance easily and to fall means to break. Not like when we were kids. So, start now.

It wasn’t just the exercise, it was the whistling. It is healing and she did it all of the time. My daughter can whistle like my mother and I never could. That is another thing about balance. We don’t all have the same talents. My daughter played the trumpet. It’s like whistling.

I didn’t practice balance enough either as I fell and broke an arm. I am more careful now as I know I can break!

Rupi Kaur’s Balance Writing Prompts — The biggest distractions in my life are _________. I would rather use this time to ______________.

I would have to say that I am most distracted by my health. I would rather be doing almost anything else but going for scans, and doctor appointments, and making sure I am taking medication on time every day.

My advice to younger people is to take good care of yourself now, don’t wait. Watch your diet and get enough exercise. Sleep well and remember to breathe, laugh, cry, and have a creative outlet.

I would rather use the time I spend on health care living life. Spending time with family and friends. My daughter asked if we could pick up a grandson this week for the day. I was going to be in scans most of the day.

Grandpa picked him up and spent the day with him. When I got home it was almost time for his mom to pick him up. We fixed dinner together. His mom and sister came sometime after, so he helped me with that too. He enjoys cooking.

I was exhausted after my day spent at the lab getting scanned. That will affect my interactions with loved ones.

Rupi Kaur’s Balance Writing Prompts — Can success and balance coexist?

It depends on how you define success. Does success mean working 24/7? No. Success for me meant I did a job where I was helpful to others. I did that job well. I went home believing that the people I worked with had been surviving a long time without me and they could survive while I was away.

I could leave my work at work most of the time and enjoy my family life. And focus on what I needed to do for my self-care.

So my answer is yes that success and balance can coexist. I know some people will not agree as money is the main factor in success for them. Even then, money can make a difference in how you take care of yourself. Trips, vacations at destinations that I will never see. Buying power.

I am okay with being comfortable. I enjoy working part-time. Writing every day and knowing that my family and friends are well.

Rupi Kaur’s Balance Writing Prompts — What area of your life would you like to put more focus on?

Since the pandemic scare has subsided I would like to get back to normal pre-pandemic time spent with family and friends.

I would like more time and connections to speak more of the Ojibwe language. Our people were told that everything we ever need to know is in the language. They never thought we would lose the language. We have people getting it back and few left who grew up with the language.

I always thought in retirement that I would do something in theatre. I haven’t, but it doesn’t mean I can’t attend the theatre. So, I am going to Jersey Boys next month. It feels like a start to making that commitment real. I will either get motivated or see that as the way to be involved.

I am enjoying writing and using the prompts, with the balance cards and the self-love cards now, as they are helping me to better connect with myself, and I plan to continue using them for now and still others later.

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First published by Mercury Press on medium.com