Reach for the Stars Without Losing Your Balance



Like all "imbalance-aholics," in order to address our personal challenges, we need to recognize them. Do any of the following represent where you're heading or maybe where you are? Is there the passion to succeed but no balance with which to succeed?

There is passion but no balance in the man who budgets his time and resources well but who doesn't budge when his time is needed most by his family.

There is passion but no balance in the achiever who pushes his mind and body to support his quest for excellence but who pushes away from those who supported him before he became somebody.

There is passion but no balance in the executive who climbs high up the corporate ladder but who buries himself deep in work.

There is passion but no balance in the scholar who quenches his thirst with knowledge but whose spirit is dry.

There is passion but no balance in the man who did not miss fortune but is oblivious to the misfortune of others.

There is passion but no balance in the man who takes pride in his country but no pride in himself.

There is passion but no balance in the dreamer who can make a difference with his ideas but who is indifferent to pursuing the ideal.

The concept of planting our seeds of passion in balanced soil is about nurturing growth in all areas of our lives. It's about pursuing and achieving our aspirations without destroying the blessings of family and health. It's more about making a life than making a living. It's about getting but not without giving. It's about being faithful to your goals without neglecting your faith. It's about, well, reaching for your star without losing your balance.

Wouldn't most people who covet stardom and success relinquish it before they ended up destroying their lives? I believe you can reach for your goals without losing your balance. But again, like anything, it will take work. The first step to achieving the goals we've envisioned is to identify them. I've never been a proponent of endless "to do" lists; however, it's been proven often enough that writing down something associated with our desires dramatically improves the chances that we will move toward achieving them. Sure, they will change, especially our short-term goals. But again, the odds are increased in our favor when we jot down our thoughts and dreams.

Journaling...

When I was a kid, writing in a journal was considered a "girl thing" amongst us tough ten-year-old cowboy, firemen and soldier types. Little girls would covertly slip into their rooms, reach deep between their mattresses and pull out "The Secret Diary"- a journal of their most intimate thoughts and dreams. Well, as intimate as one could get at nine or ten. I, like many other little boys, often wondered if we, by some chance, had what it took to have our names etched in the personal diaries of those pigtailed goddesses of the playground. Oh, to be mentioned in the personal thoughts of Faye Carter, Debbie Duckworth and Bobbi Jo Baker. We would never know, of course, for the violation of finding and opening a young girl's diary meant humiliation for her and certain death or worse, a dateless high-school career, for the violator.

Today, both sexes have come to recognize the power of "journaling." Guys probably came to realize the benefits of keeping a journal as we watched those little girls rise to power as women (no doubt, as a result of personal diaries). Physically recording your thoughts and direction gives you something tangible to hold on to, refer to, and shoot for.

In this book we will often refer to the importance of "journaling"-recording thoughts, ideas, plans, passions, etc. In some cases, we'll give you a few aids-graphics, grids and even a basketball line-up to assist your efforts. In others, we may offer suggestions to put in your journal. No one is going to look over your shoulder to make sure you're doing it the right way or even doing it. I don't care if you have a formal journal, leather bound, black 8 1/2 x 11-inch ledger to your soul, or a little wire rimmed note pad you keep in your pocket or purse. Quite candidly, you'll probably write more in the little pad because it's accessible and you can pretend you're taking notes in business meetings, church (sorry Pastor), whatever. Actually, meetings and sermons are great catalyst to stimulate your thoughts. The key is to record something that could potentially impact your life. Use post-it notes, index cards, paper napkins, etc. Record your thoughts on a Dictaphone and type them out.

I have a file I call "Idiot Notes." I jot down my ideas, thoughts for crazy inventions, titles for best sellers to be, whatever, and toss them in the file. I come back days, weeks, months later and attempt to organize those unorganized thoughts. Collect enough on one subject and you may have the foundation for a self-help book (ahem!).

Can you cheat? Sure! I mean you've done it before, right? You've read other books, listened to tapes, been motivated by the best. Right? Hey, me, too! And you know what? When they told me to turn off the tape, record the goals, pull out the index cards and close my eyes...I didn't. (I mean, hey, come on, I'm driving here.) My results were still positive and pursued with passion-for a couple of days. Then one day for some reason (desperation, perhaps) I actually documented some of my actions and things I'd learned. I wrote down my goals, pulled out the index cards and even kept a personal journal of my thoughts, dreams, plans and conversations with God.

Hey, it works! If you're like many of us passion-seekers, you have the best intentions in the world. Even the most disciplined mind gets overloaded. Objectives blur with the myriad of responsibilities and deadlines we face every day. The exercises in this book will help and should be an adjunct to your efforts. (Please note the words "your efforts.")