Living in Minnesota doesn’t always provide me with balance.  We have four distinctive seasons, more water than land, and more mosquitoes than butterflies.  Despite Minnesota sending me signals that are innately one-sided, I try to see the silver lining.

Recently I was driving home after work during a snowstorm.  I left work early to run a few errands.  Who runs errands when you’re getting 6-8 inches of snow in Minnesota?  Most people leave work early to go home in the off chance they can spend more time with their family.  I did the opposite.  I HAD to get more boxes checked off my ‘to do’ list.  Despite the snow, my little Volkswagen Beatle plowed through the streets of Minneapolis to get me to my destinations.  The irony of this story is I needed to go to a store specializing in organizational containers and materials to simplify your life.  I stopped in, browsed, and checked out.  But I was near another store I ‘needed’ to go to.  If not now, next week – why not?

The VW and I went down the street to head to our next destination.  Little did I know when I arrived I was going to make three trips to my car (parked outside and buried in snow).  Home accessory shopping is more exciting when there’s a snowstorm than during a clear sunny day! Snow continues to fall in sheets while I trudge through in my Ugg boots.  On my third trip, I was walking down the stairs that had not been salted or shoveled and my feet come out from under me and I fell to my knees, later my elbows.  No, I wasn’t feeling the need to bow down to the snow gods & thank them for more snow - I lost my balance.

I realized that my way of falling was the second sign from the universe this was a bad idea.  My first sign were people headed the opposite direction I was going toward.  The universe sent me what I needed: to slow down.  I realized that slowing down & staying in touch with my inner guidance allows for more balance.  Although I needed more balance within my Ugg boots that day!

Balance shows up in our lives each day.  If I would have listened to my first instinct, I wouldn’t have had the chance to fall down; but I did.  Thankfully, I didn’t internally hurt anything.  Only cuts, bruises, & swollen knees remind me of the balance that I intend to achieve for 2009 & beyond.  It’s easy to caught up in our ‘to do’ lists & not put the effort to find inner stability.  Next time you’re giving yourself a tough time the ‘to do’ list isn’t checked off, ask yourself this: what would it be like to ignore the ‘to do’ list & do something for yourself?  How do you find balance?Despite my sore muscles accompanied with cuts & bruises, they continue to offer me a reminder that life isn’t balanced or black and white.  Sometimes gray matter finds you - because you need it.