Published monthly by Sharon Eakes, Hope Unlimited, LLC
************************************************************ FOCUS: Don't Seek Balance
Disciplines: Personal Mastery, Systems Thinking

THOUGHTS:

As a coach, I often hear people say, "I need more balance in my life." The image of childhood mobile-making at summer camp pops into my mind. We made mobiles by hanging shells and bits of beach debris on driftwood twigs. It was fun and challenging to create a balanced mobile. Even when I got it perfect, a breeze could undo the balance. A small tweak could bring it back.

What does "balance" mean to you?
--> An equal amount of work and play?
--> Structured and unstructured time?
--> Some match of things we HAVE to do and things we WANT to do?
Maybe we complicate it all too much.

COACHING TIP:

David Burnett (DavidB@CoachCenter.com, or http://www.CoachCenter.com) suggests a simpler approach, where joy is the leverage point in the system that is us:

"Do what brings you joy, and take care of things, systematically, that interfere with joy.

"Result: more balance, as well as more joy!"

OBSERVATION:

This is a freeing practice. The following things happen when I keep the focus on joy, I:

--> play with my kitty more
--> say "no" to things
--> participate in relationships differently
--> decide not to do some things
--> laugh more
--> decide to do some things badly (or not perfectly)
--> slow down and live more in the present

INVITATION:

Please join me in a telegathering Friday, April 26, at 12:00 noon EDT (11 a.m. CDT, 10 a.m. MT, 9 a.m. PDT) to explore ways to get to balance by focusing on joy. (702) 558-4398 No need to register....just call at that time!

Reach me: 1-888-769-3494 or e-mail sharon@hopellc.com

Each month FRESH VIEWS focuses on a single topic, relates it to one of the five disciplines of a learning community, and offers a coaching tip and a follow-up telegathering. Please forward it to friends and colleagues. My purpose in writing FRESH VIEWS is to nurture, prod and encourage readers to think and talk about these topics with their families, friends and colleagues. Mine is only one view. Multiple conversations may deliver us to insights only hinted at here. Such a process sustains the vitality of learning relationships, learning families, learning organizations and learning communities.