A little while ago, my aunt sent me the following story in an email message. I like to think that I do all I can to focus on what is most important to me, but every now and then, I realize that I could be doing more. As much as I enjoy that fiction novel I've been reading, I could be doing a little less reading, and a little more of something that will give me a rewarding result in the long term. Like playing my bass more often.

Stories like this one change the way I perceive my activities, helping me shift from simple enjoyment, to that pure satisfaction and joy that comes from doing something that lifts my heart and soul. Don't get me wrong, kicking back and relaxing with a book is great, just not all the time. It comes back to that all important word again; rhythm.

Here is the story. I hope you enjoy it!

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use.However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.

The first set of rules would be:
Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you. You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, “Its over. The game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.
What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love. Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, wouldn't you?
ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it.
The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost. Yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time....WITHOUT WARNING.
SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?
Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.
So take care of yourself, Be Happy, Love Deeply and Enjoy Life!
Wishing you a wonderfully beautiful day.
Start spending.
Kayleigh Radatus

Are you working more and more, with no end in sight? Are you buried so deep under a pile of work that you wonder if you'll ever get out? While hard work can be important to your success and financial prosperity, so is living your life in rhythm.

If you're feeling stressed out and overtired, you may feel that a proper work and family rhythm s impossible for you. But nothing could be further from the truth! Creating rhythm in your work and family life is critical for preserving your health and experiencing the peace and happiness you deserve.

Attain the rhythmic life you crave with these simple changes:

•    Keep the work at work. Resist the temptation to bring work home with you. If you're facing pressing deadlines or a pile of work that keeps growing, taking work home seems like the easiest way to get it all done. Unfortunately, though, taking work home often means saying no to vital family time.

•    Often, the heavy workload is part of the territory. At other times, you can ease your workload by opting out of unnecessary projects or unreasonable demands.

•    Try delegating the tasks that can be done by others so you're free to do the most important aspects of your job.

•    Other times, poor planning can cause you to spend more time on tasks than is really necessary. This may cause you to get behind and feel the need to bring work home. Take a few minutes in the morning to plan your day effectively, make a to-do list arranged by priority, and then cross off your tasks as you complete them.

•    Show your family that you value them by saying no when appropriate, delegating when possible, and taking time to organize your work before you begin. You'll feel less stressed and get more done, too.

•    Limit your hours. Staying late at the office is a lot like coming home with work. If possible, commit to reasonable office hours and leave when it's time to clock out. Your family time will support your success at the office because you'll feel less stressed and experience greater productivity in the time you spend at work.

•    Go to work early. Instead of staying at the office late and missing family time, consider arriving early if you have to catch up on work. While you only want to do this occasionally, it can be the perfect compromise that promotes rhythm in your life. Arrive home on time for family time, and you work extra hours in the morning when everyone's still asleep.

•    Put your family first. Just as you make appointments that support your working career, why not make appointments that prioritize your family and encourage rhythm? Schedule in date nights, play time with the kids, or whatever suits your lifestyle. That way, when the calendar starts to become crowded with work, your family doesn't get crowded out.

Most of your day may be spent at work, but the most rewarding experiences of your life often occur during family time. Use these strategies to create rhythm in your life and experience more of the memories that make life worthwhile. If you make your family a priority, you'll be rewarded with greater productivity at work, a sense of peace, and deeper relationships within your family.

Wishing you all the best life offers,
Kayleigh

Ah, the best laid plans.... Amazing how it happens, your day or week is all planned out, then "wham" seemingly out of nowhere, something comes along to sideline your plans. A car repair, a family member or friend needs your help, your small child gets sick...or any number of other events that just weren't in your plans can really do a number on you and your "to do" list.

The impact of these types of events on your "to do" list often can't be helped, but you can do something about how these unplanned for events impact you. You may think that your reaction to these events is out of your control, but in reality, they are completely WITHIN your control. After all, who is controlling your emotions and behaviour, if not you? Certainly not your mechanic, right?

Think for a moment about how you typically react to an unplanned for event. Do you feel stressed or upset, angry or resentful? How about frustrated?

We've all been there. Sometimes these feelings come on very quickly, but it just seems like the reaction is out of your control. Because how these events impact you comes down to how you CHOOSE to deal with them. That's right; its a choice. You can freak out, become angry or resentful, but really, how well does that reaction serve you?  You might even feel entitled to react the way that you did. Maybe so, but again, let me ask you, how well does that reaction serve you?  Does it help the situation in any way? Make the problem go away?  Or does it simply make an already unpleasant situation worse?

I'd like to offer you another option for how you choose to react in these situations. Are you ready?  Here it is: acceptance. That's right, acceptance. Acceptance that life will sometimes throw you curves. Sometimes things won't go the way you would like them to. Its going to happen. If you understand this one simple fact life becomes much easier. Learning the habit of accepting the curves life sends you leads to greater peace and calm in your life, along with more of that elusive sense of rhythm many people are searching for. And all of that leads to better health.

You probably don't need any more reasons to start learning to accept these unplanned for events but I'll give you a couple more anyway. First, sometimes the challenges and obstacles that land in your path are there because you need them to be. They might have arrived just in time to help you to grow.  Its true! If you start thinking about how much you need to learn to be more patient, just watch and see how many opportunities to be more patient arrive in your life.

Or sometimes what is initially perceived as an obstacle, turns out to be an opportunity. One that is missed because you were too busy feeling stressed, or angry about the obstacle to notice what it could give you. While you're waiting for your car to be repaired you just might meet your next business partner, someone who has a solution to another challenge you've been facing, or you might be able to use that time to handle other tasks that otherwise wouldn't have gotten done. But if you're stressed or angry, how open to these possibilities will you be?

The fact is, there will ALWAYS be things that come up when you're not expecting them. If you could learn to accept these events, adjust your schedule accordingly and keep going without falling into the trap of the negative emotions; how much better could would your life be?

Balance.

What is it? How do I find it? Once I find it, how do I keep it? These questions remind me of a scene in one of my favourite movies; The Princess Bride. And in remembering that scene (I won't tell you about it...watch the movie...its great!), I'm reminded about how such things infuse our lives with fun, long after the experience is over. They contribute to that feeling of being in balance.

To me, balance is really about living life with rhythm. It's about feeling peace, and being able to move with life. Living in rhythm is a constantly shifting, changing state that can be called balance as long as you are feeling at peace with where you're currently at. Rhythm is about how you react to what you are choosing to do in your life.

For example, just now when I remembered that movie I enjoy so much, I stopped writing for a minute. I remembered that scene, as well as a few others that happened to pop into my mind. I smiled, even laughed a little at the memories before coming back to my work. It hardly took any time at all, but experiences like that make all the difference between living a life that is in rhythm, and one that is not.

For the person who's life feels out of balance or out of rhythm, often everything is a rush. They tend to focus on "what's next". Its rare that they ever get the chance to really enjoy anything as they are constantly thinking about what else they have to do. When something fun pops to mind, they squash it down, and push themselves back to the task at hand, or worse; worry about the work they still have left to do.  Even events that are fun take on a rushed, harried feel since these events are usually back to back with other errands or work to be done.

A person who's life feels rhythmic is focused on what is happening RIGHT NOW. They attend to the task at hand without worrying about what else has to be done. Many people call this way of being; "living in the moment". Not a bad description, but one that I prefer not to use. I don't see anything wrong with thinking about the future, as long as you're thinking positively. And I don't see anything wrong with thinking about the past either, as long as you aren't wallowing in something negative that happened, or reliving a positive experience so extensively that you're forgetting to live now.

When is the last time you just relaxed and let yourself be where you were? Or just let yourself enjoying a memory? When is the last time you really let yourself go into a memory of something fun without reminding yourself to get to work?

Rhythm is achievable and surprisingly easy to start creating. Just one small step will help you to start feeling less busy. Are you ready? 
Here it is:
Stop thinking about your "to do" list.

That's right. Stop THINKING about everything you have to do. Make a list of all the tasks on your mind. Work on the tasks one at a time, and focus on that task while you're doing it.  When that task is done, check it off, and move on to whatever it is you need to do next.
This is a small change that can be very challenging when you're in the habit of thinking and worrying about everything you have to do.  Just be aware and when you catch yourself starting to fall into your old thinking patterns, gently bring your mind back to the task at hand.

You'll be surprised at what a difference this process can make.

Wishing you all the best,
Kayleigh