So many people seem to be walking around with heavy weight on their shoulders. They are busy, worried and tired. Does this ring true with you?
My career often feels like I am walking uphill with eighty pounds of barbells on my tired shoulders. My neck gets stiff and achy. I find myself getting frustrated and grumpy over little things. Most of the time, I plod onward and try to ignore the signs of the problem. There is an underlying fear that if I stop, everything in my life will stop functioning. It’s a strange self-delusion that I have control over things anyway.

If I do not pay attention to the signals my heart and body send to me, I suffer for it. Then, I either have a minor “collapse” or something hits me right in the heart, jolting me to change a few things. Of course, I like the second way of change a lot better!

When I do pay attention, I can use the Five Percent Rule to make a small change. The Five Percent Rule means I do not have to tackle a mountain of a problem at once. For me, a small change is a fifteen-minute nap, leaving my office at 3:30 p.m. to go bike riding, or simply meditating somewhere quiet for a few minutes. The meditating usually leads me to see that I have too many activities or too much stuff to look after. It also helps me see what is important and what is not so important. The important things are the ones that produce health and happiness for my whole family.

I can eliminate one “to do” in my life. Or perhaps I can get rid of something cluttering up my world. If that eighty-pound pack I am carrying gets reduced to seventy pounds, I have made some progress. It only happens when I stop doing. I have to stop staring at the computer, simply stop accomplishing. Just for a few moments.

Are you feeling heavy weight on your shoulders right now? Rest for just a few minutes. Then, think about what you can do to restore a little balance in your life. You will be glad you did!

I would love to hear your thoughts. Send me a comment.