I read "The Five Balls" in a book once and have never forgotten it. It is a simple way to look at your life and goes like this:
"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called WORK, FAMILY/FRIENDS, HEALTH, FAITH, and INTEGRITY. And you're keeping all of them in the air. One day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls- family/friends, health, faith, integrity- are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life."
A lot of times when we get ultra busy with our lives, we "drop the ball" on something. We lose touch with special people in life, we drown ourselves in our work to MAYBE get ahead. We stop knowing what we believe in and stop believing in ourselves. Amidst all the juggling and busyness, we stop taking care of ourselves and our health. I love the story of "The Five Balls" because it is such an easy visual for everyday life--- lots of juggling things around. Honestly, we do it to ourselves. We speed through our days like time is running out. Guess what- we DO have the power to make our lives simpler by cutting things out that really don't matter. We can make our lives better and healthier by focusing on moving our bodies like they were meant to be moved and by eating "real" food. Don't make it complicated, make it simple.
Our world has turned into a world of "stuff." We work to have the stuff and work more to pay for it. Then, you don't even have time to enjoy the stuff you wanted so much. Clear out the "stuff" that is cluttering your life and your schedule and instead of juggling 20 balls in the air, cut it down to the five I listed above. You'll then find time to care for yourself, your family, and your friends. You'll change not just your life for the better, but all of those that are connected to you.
