Real Estate Blog - My Take on the Balanced Life Debate

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My Take on the Balanced Life Debate

I find a real estate agent talking about balance almost laughable. Some days are so busy I barely have time to eat. Other days I find myself wondering if my cell phone is broken as it's painfully quiet. We can have balance, but not every day. And that is as it should be.

The balance I find in my life is spread out over time, actually over a lifetime. When I was a child I loved school. I read voraciously and studying was one of my favorite things to do. Go ahead and laugh, actually my own children responded to that story with, "Mom, you're sick!" I enjoyed my days as a student and made the most of them. Was my life was out of balance? Oh yeah, I was obsessed with learning.

I taught school with the same passion I approached my education. I wanted the best for my students, and as a result other areas of my life were not perfectly in balance during my teaching years, but I have some wonderful memories of triumphs and break-through moments. Those fulfilling memories will be with me always.

Motherhood found me with four children in ten years. Those were the years of living with very little sleep, and suppressing my own goals while I spent time nurturing, teaching and enjoying my kids. Those were also years filled with laughter and joy. Was my life balanced? Not at all. Was full-time motherhood worth it? For me, absolutely. No regrets.

When the youngest was in school full-time I was off to real estate school and delighted to find I could comprehend more than Dr. Seuss and Disney stories. Oops, now I'm working weekends, searching for property all hours of the night, juggling evening appointments, checking homework and quizzing for tests. Balance seemed to elude me. However, I found happiness in each chapter of my life.

The children are grown, I'm single and have all the time I want for career I did not have when they were babies. Looking back, there was beautiful balance in the life I composed. I had it all, just not all at the same time. I'm so looking forward to traveling too much, painting too much, blogging too much and selling too much real estate during this chapter of my life.

Being a bit off balance at times is challenging, exhilarating and fun. Don't beat yourself up if yours disappears every once in awhile. You may discover you are stronger and capable of so much more than you ever believed.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate, property, houses and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

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Posted by Norma Toering Rolling Hills & Palos Verdes Property on 07/01/2009 07:29 PM

Comments (15)

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Originally posted at: Palos Verdes Lifestyle - Norma Toering's PV Real Estate Blog: My Take on the Balanced Life Debate

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15 Comments on My Take on the Balanced Life Debate

JUL

So many celebrities have passed away this week and now Karl Maldern, who's next? It reminds me to live now and not worry about career to much because it won't matter when I am gone and the people I care about the most deserve my time.

Is that you on a camel? That looks like a balancing act and a balance in life, too.

I think a balanced life is for those without passion.

Yes, Monika, that's me and I had to adjust my balance more than once while riding the camel.

Bill, passion does have a way of pushing balance out of its way--at least temporarily.

I like the way you journey your "balances" or however you look at it. I had a similar response to a blog I posted recently. But what I didn't understand what the "laughable" part. Was it laughable to you because it was road you looked back on, now you could "laugh" about it, or what it laughable because it was funny (silly) to you?

Bill I disagree, I have all the passion in the world for my busines - but I also have a balanced life.....work, health working out, going out, family, friends and now most of my friends are work related and therefore respect my time off. You CAN have your own balanced life - whatever it may be for you! ..choose your time off, set the expectations and live by it - you can do it and still be super successful -there are people that will respect you for it and you will get those same type of referrals....and for those that don't, Let them go b/c there will be three more that do..

Trust me -I've been doing it that way for over 20 years......

Norma, I'm thinking we are kindren spirits. I tend to put my all in to whatever I'm doing but I have enjoyed all the different times of my life. My children are now young adults also so I'm at a totally different time now. In looking back there was only one time where I REALLY got off balance and the Lord set me straight.

Hi Norma ~ I love this post and can relate to much of it. I laughed out loud when I read your first paragraph - so true - this business is always a roller coaster. And I've often thought of my life as chapters in the book. Or life as a book - and isn't a bummer we don't get to find out how it turns out? As somebody who's often tempted to sneak a peek at the last pages of a book the idea of all those "unread chapters" just kills me (no pun intended!!).

Liz

JUL

A bakanced life is a myth particularly if you desire great success in one area. Look at Olympic atheletes. Great success. No balance. Focus is almost 100% on training and their goal.

Loreena - A little bit of both I suppose. I think a "balance check" is difficult to do on a daily basis. There will always be times when life spins a bit out of control, and we have to kiss balance goodbye for the moment, and run with the opportunity or endure the difficulty.

Colleen - Sounds like you have found a balance that works for you. I think that's the challenge--finding our difinition of balance.

Marchel - Yes, I always tried to embrace the grow where you're planted philosophy.

Elizabeth - Life is like a good mystery novel--we never know what turning the next page will reveal.

Bob -- No doubt in my mind sacrifices must be made to move beyond the ordinary.

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