Balance - Will 2009 be the year that I finally find it?

2008 was not a year with balance in my life. And it ended in such a way that my body was physically resisting the lack of balance in recent weeks, well actually months. As has happened before, usually in college at the end of the semester after being burned out with weeks of papers and finals, I got very sick on the first day when relaxation and vacation were supposed to begin. I arrived home to my parents' on Christmas Eve with worries about "fitting it all in" during a 4 day holiday visit. Within hours it became obvious, there would be nothing to fit into my schedule over the long weekend except when to awake for a cup of tea, more medicine, and maybe some chicken soup. I had started 2008 in a hurried, rushed way with travels and work and a list of must do's. Work transitions, economic difficulties, and a series of events (e.g. being robbed in February, extensive travel delays three times in two weeks...) made 2008 seem like a year that was just working against me at every step. Toasting the new year with friends in a calm, fulfilling gathering on December 31st was a perfect way to say goodbye to a year I was anxious to be done with.
As I start 2009, I am forced to confront a constant challenge in my life--finding balance. I have a difficult time saying NO. I consistently put others before myself. I defer sleep for another hour of getting things done on a daily basis. I struggle to achieve balance and define what it means for me in my life. Two recent conversations with friends about the topic show me that this isn't a problem I struggle alone with. We each have our journey towards achieving balance and the precarious relationship to keeping it in your life. I commit to taking steps towards balance and making 2009 a healthier year--in mind and body--for me. Little steps lead to bigger changes...