Yesterday I was sitting on the back deck at Aqueduct Conference Center in Chapel Hill. If you have ever been there, you know how beautiful and serene the view is from that spot. You see a large expanse of grass, an abundance of trees in the distance and a plethora of bushes with large purple flowers buzzing with bees right in front of me.
The reason I was there was that I had been invited to deliver a seminar on Personal and Professional Life Balance to gradute students from NC State. My talk focused on the theme of Choice and the role it plays in creating balance in our lives. Choice of what we do, how we do it, when and where we do it, who we are when we are doing it and the type of support we choose.
In preparation for this presentation, the students were asked to complete a Signature Strengths Quesionnaire (you can try it too, it’s free) that measures what matters most to each of us. Knowing what matters most is a critical component in making the best choices. I completed it as well. One of my top 5 was “appreciation of beauty and excellence”. So yesterday, when finished for the day, instead of rushing off to my next appointment, I decided to spend a few moments basking in the beauty on the back deck. I then chose to take the longer but more beautiful route home on the backroads near Jordan Lake rather than the interstate.
Those choices – taking those few moments of quiet and beauty were rejuvenating and truly balanced my day!
Stefanie Zizzo, Career and Life Coach – www.stefaniezizzo.com
