Aviators and a Camera

Thanks to Crystal Light for sponsoring this post. To learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight.

I’m definitely that person who has trouble achieving balance in all areas of life. One of the things I’ve had to own in my post-divorce world is that I had a fault in the breakdown of my marriage. Probably my greatest fault was not adequately balancing how much time I worked with how much time I spent working on my marriage and one of the last things I ever did was leave enough time to figure out who I was and what I wanted. I let myself be carried with the tide and it wasn’t a tide I was in control of. I was desperately unhappy. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had met me 3 years ago and hated me. I’m sure my loved ones outside my marriage noticed how unbalanced I was. I know our relationships suffered in those years.

The day after my divorce was finalized, I packed a suitcase and took off for California. I spent a long time on the west coast thinking about priorities, doing yoga on the roof of my building, exploring Northern California. What I realized was that travel would have to be an even larger part of my life than it had ever been previously if I was going to walk forward into a life that had any kind of balance and happiness in it.

When travel is a visible and consistent thread in my life it’s then, happy and fulfilled – that I can pour out love and positive energy into the lives of the people I care about and even into the lives of people I have never met. Since that trip, and the many that have followed – I’ve noticed my relationships with my best friends and my family members improving. I’ve noticed my own physical and mental health improving. As a photographer, I’ve scaled back from the projects that made me unhappy and I’ve begun to pursue the work that does fulfill me. Robert Louis Stevenson once said “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” It’s that movement which has brought a renewed energy and vitality into my life and helped orient me so that I can achieve balance in all areas of my life. I’m by no means perfect and still make mistakes every day but there is a positivity and optimism present now that was missing for so long.

I also try to do these things every day no matter where I am, traveling or not, that help me achieve greater balance in my life:
1) Pray – Even if you’re not a religious person, think of praying as the way to voice your concerns, questions and even things you’re thankful for because there’s power in releasing those things to “someone” and letting them go.
2) Yoga – This is still new for me! In fact, I only went to my first class last week. Prior to that I’d just been doing yoga in my room by watching videos online. However, it’s been a great calming tool for me and a great way to get in shape that doesn’t require awkwardly comparing myself to every woman thinner than me at a gym! This helps my mental health too!
3) Write – If you keep a journal, write in it. If you blog, publish posts consistently. This is similar to praying for me, in that it releases the things I keep pent up inside and frees me to be more positive.
4) Talk – I try to talk to a family member or close friend every day. I don’t mean on twitter and facebook. I mean talk on the phone, email, write a physical letter. You’d be surprised at how many days can go by where the only talking you do is through social media … if you’re not careful to stop that habit. 140 characters can become meaningless if it’s the only communication you have with the world outside your door.
5) Eat Healthy – Those who know me best just love to lament the fact that I am a picky eater. BUT – the older I get the harder I work at broadening my horizons and I have found that the more healthy food I eat, the better I feel not just physically – but emotionally and spiritually as well!
6) Dream – By this I mean dream of all the places you still want to go and of the things you will do on the trips you already have planned. Research potential trips. Read other travel blogs. Scour travel magazines picking out the destinations which most inspire you. If you’re like me and travel is a large motivator for happiness, this is a great way to keep the “buzz” going even when you are not actually on the road.
7) Pay if Forward – This can be as small as taking the time to give someone directions in the subway when you’re running late yourself, it can be as large as committing to a year long volunteer experience in the desert of Africa. However you do it, take some time every day to do something good for someone else or for a group of people. It’s no secret that helping others, actually ends up helping you more. (Just don’t do it for that reason alone!)

Remember, visit http://www.facebook.com/crystallight to learn more about how Crystal Light can flavor your day with 30 refreshing flavors. I was selected and paid for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.