Personal Balance

Today I found something kind of fun on my Gmail account--old correspondence with a friend of mine at Enterprise. We used to write back and forth all the time, and since we hated our jobs there was much to commiserate about.

The emails were kind of fun to read back on since we were crazy about Gilmore Girls and Sex and the City and would dissect every episode. Also, we had some pretty intense conversations about the Great Wall of Chocolate which you can only get at P.F. Chang's (I'm not so much a fan of it, but she really likes it). There was also some discussion about American Idol but I could never really get into it because it was on at the same time as Gilmore Girls and certain things take priority. One thing that was interesting to note was how much complaining I did . . . it was a lot. And looking back on it, I don't even know why she was my friend. She's such a good sport.

I think most of my complaining was a result of a lack of balance in my life. While at Enterprise, I worked 50+ hours a week, was the first to not take a lunch if things were busy, and had many evenings when it was 7 or 8 at night and I was still working. It was rough! Work was such a focal point of my life that so many things were set aside. It's no wonder I was so cranky, I was consumed by my work.

Two years later, I have left the shackles of Enterprise and what a couple of years it's been! I got a personal trainer and worked on my physical fitness and health; subsequently, I got a second job at 24 Hour Fitness just so I could afford my trainer; I went through the temple; I started getting more involved in my ward . . . all in all, it's been a very rewarding experience. Mostly, it's taught me how important balance in one's life is. Even with two jobs now my life is no where to the level of craziness that it once was. I'm able to focus more intently on the various aspects of my life and because of this I feel much more well rounded as a person. I read more, I'm up on current events, I'm more involved in my family and friends' lives. It's good. I'm happy.

Although I still complain and am not always the cheery burst of sunshine that I know many people see me as, I'm really grateful for the chance to be given the opportunities to work on my whole self, not just random parts or one dominant part. I think one's personal happiness is not derived by exploiting one specific area in life; instead, I think it's about expanding all areas of life. I think the Gospel really exemplifies this--no matter how hard we try we can never be fully perfect. There will always be areas where we can improve. It's kind of a daunting thought, but at the same time it's kind of exciting as well. We haven't been given a one-dimensional religion, we've been given the world at our fingertips. There is so much to do before we're finally ready. We're really lucky if you ask me. I'm really lucky!