In the same way that all good things come to an end, all good things should also be practiced in moderation. Anything is excess can throw your equilibrium off and that includes “good” things that we may believe we can never get too much of. Yes, we can drink too much water. Yes, we can exercise too much. Yes, we can lie on the beach too much. And yes, we can meditate and “be still” too much. After all, life and health thrives on energy and movement. Balanced purpose and life flow includes a combination of exercise, work/accomplishments, interpersonal relationships, socializing, healthy foods, alone time, and stillness (like meditation). Any of these aspects practiced in excess can throw off our balance and purpose.
For instance, unless you’re a monk, priest or nun, meditating or praying all day is going to leave you with few accomplishments and probably a really empty bank account (causing you further insecurity and stress). We can’t expect one single practice like meditation or yoga to solve our problems. We have to combine those healthy practices with real world life skills and purposeful work. That includes taking financial responsibility for our lives. A lot of angst many of us feel is caused from not feeling we have a purpose or talent to put to work. Lacking goals or direction in life is one of the biggest causes of depression and anxiety. As the saying goes, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.” Whether you believe in a proverbial devil or not, idleness and vacancy of the mind is quite destructive.
Think about what is causing you angst right now. If you were doing purposeful work that made you feel talented and accomplished, and you had a healthy bank account, would you feel better about your life? The answer is probably “yes.” So, while it is good to do mindful practices like yoga, meditation, nature walks etc., these practices should also be combined with goal setting and the meaningful work.
We all want to feel secure, valuable, talented, respected, and accomplished, and getting our work and financial health in order is part of that process. Too often wellness mantras are solely based on spirituality and metaphysical aspects while not addressing other very real underlying issues; which often include some level of feeling unaccomplished, untalented, unworthy, and financially insecure and uncertain of one’s future. Health is not just about your body or spirituality. Health is a combination of well-being in every aspect of your life -including your work and finances.
Sometimes when working on ourselves we can experience tunnel vision. We may use bandaids to cover where we’re struggling to avoid taking real (often intimidating) action to change our lives. These bandaids can include too much of good things like mediation, praying, and yoga or metaphysical theories like the “law of attraction.” We can’t rely on such practices to completely fix us or to bring us the peace or success we desire. We have to do work in every area of our lives to be the best versions of ourselves. Being spiritual and setting intentions is great, but nothing happens in our lives without physical work, deliberate effort, and taking hard hitting, massive action. Work and desiring money is not the root of all evil -poverty, idleness, and excess is.
Think of each aspect of your life as a slice of pie. Everyone is different, so some of your “slices” may be bigger or smaller depending on your priorities. However, for total well-being, we should be giving the following factors of our lives attention and care: work, family, exercise, spiritual/wellness practices (i.e meditation,yoga etc.), relationships, solitude, money/financial planning, and healthy eating.
Want to live your best possible life? Do your best to practice moderation and balance. Combine your wellness practices with your work and family responsibilities. Set goals for yourself and make a point to get your finances in order, so that you know you will have a secure future. Pursue a career you love. Doing meaningful work is one of the best ways to stimulate your mind and find purpose in life while providing financial security. True wellness is about being mindful of EVERY aspect of our lives -and yes, that includes two huge factors that can bring you purpose and security that the wellness world tends to unfairly shame and downplay: work and financial health.
