Do you often think about how you live your life?
Do you approach your life by strategically planning (almost) every decision you make?
Do you try your best to allow things to fall naturally into place?
Do you weigh those decisions based on the impact they make on the people around you?
Do you know what your motivations for these choices are?
How often do you ask yourself these questions and reevaluate your position?

Where I'm going with this is that no matter how complicated one's life is I am willing to bet that there is almost always one common theme among us when answering these questions:

Balance

Now here’s where my know-it-all-ism goes out the window. Balance is a subjective concept. The same principles I abide by in living my life may or may not apply to you. We all have our own goals, values, and ethics. To give you a better understanding of who @Hyph-n8d is, here’s how I balance my life through focusing my energy in these equal parts:

Health

Physical and mental health is my absolute top priority. I’m on a constant quest to improve my health. We can always do something better to improve our lifestyle through what we eat, how we exercise, and how we recover for the next day. We can never be perfect but we can strive to improve day-by-day!

First, I try to eat the best quality whole food I can find. I follow a vegan diet at home but I allow myself to occasionally have fish and dairy- perhaps if I’m on vacation and want to try some local cuisine. Also, while eating healthy is important- I allow myself to indulge in drinking beer and wine on special occasions or dates with my partner. :)

Second, I exercise as much as possible without “overtraining” – which may be a term up for debate. ;) For the past 10 years or so I’ve consistently been training and incorporating elements of powerlifting, bodybuilding, calisthenics, and various cardio endurance exercises in my routines. In terms of a favourite? I have none! After all this time they have all remained so enjoyable which is why I rotate between them all and haven’t given up. Practice what you love, people!

Relationships

Not everyone’s situation is the same but I am very fortunate to get along very well with all of my family with no sour relationships in the mix. We’re all living in different parts of the country and abroad, off on our own lives, but we keep in close touch and always try to bridge the gaps. Similar to my family life, my closest friends that I’ve kept for the longest duration in my life have also mostly gone off to all corners of the world.

No matter how many friends you have, how far away they are, or how often you see them – we need to include others in our journey for support, reminders of our past, and (healthy) competition.

Education

Formal or informal. Both have their place. Most of us are expected to follow a traditional path in life. For example, in Canada we are encouraged to finish highschool, go to college or university, and then find a good job to hold onto until retirement. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that in my opinion as long as one doesn't allow that job to become who they are entirely. Rather, in your free time one should try to expand their knowledge and be open to new opportunities.

At the time of completing my first college diploma, I thought that I was going to graduate, land my "dream job" at the time, and work there 35 years until I retire. Was I ever wrong - and might I say, closed-minded! Since then I've completed numerous other certificates, a degree, and starting graduate school early next year. While my long-term professional career path may be uncertain, I'm constantly learning and studying on my own time. I'm learning how to be a better, healthier, contributing member of my community.

Experience

Pushing personal boundaries is an essential pillar in life that I think could've been under the education header as well. I think it's also a concept where we can begin to welcome feelings that people normally try to avoid and alleviate. Such as: fear, doubt, uncertainty, and stress.

Mind you, these are natural instincts embedded in us for good reason. Obviously there are times we need to listen to these feelings but there are other times where they can hold us back from some of the most meaningful opportunities and personal development. It is up to you, the reader, to recognize the root cause of these feelings and try to weigh your options of what you have to lose should this decision not be in your best favour.

I attribute many of my best experiences from fear and doubt. There's been so many times that I've looked at an opportunity and caught myself saying, "I'll never be able to do that." It's at these moments you need to respond to that idea with, "is that entirely true?" Pushing back against that doubtful voice in my head has shown me numerous parts of the world, taught me new languages, introduced me to my romantic partner, brought me into the exciting world of cryptocurrency and Steemit - and so much more!

Sacrifice

Let's wrap this up, shall we? We can't have everything. Our fate isn't entirely in our control and we need to accept that. Similarly, there's always a time and a place. We're all brought into this world in different circumstances. In the end, the only race we're in is with ourselves.

Some of the hardest things I have to sacrifice for my desired life are everyday things like the tastiest, unhealthy foods. I have to sometimes sacrifice seeing my friends or family because of monetary constraints, or time constraints to ensure that I exercise. I have to sacrifice time itself to volunteer my time to my community to stay true to my values of helping others. I have to live frugal in some ways in order to indulge in others.

The list goes on. It's hard to say no to our temptations. But sometimes it's not giving something up, rather offsetting the enjoyment for later.