The Art of Balance

As part of a program I enrolled in, I was invited to come up with a word for 2023. A word to frame the year ahead and the life I envision for myself. As a word person, you'd think that would be easy, but I found it challenging. I wanted to find the right word, with the right meaning to set the right intention. That's a lot of pressure for one little word. And a lot of pressure for one little me. I thought about JOY as my word. Too corny, too Pollyanna. I thought about SUCCESS as my word. Too self-involved, too empty. I thought about CREATIVE as my word. Too much pressure. So I looked at some of the questions meant to help narrow it down and it was in answering questions about what didn't work so well in 2022 that my word emerged - BALANCE. It was all right there the whole time in a two-sided collage I'd made last spring.

One side with quiet muted tones and a cozy home, the other looking for the next brightly-colored adventure.

The opportunity this year is to find the balance that works for me. A happy balance between work and play, home and travel, creativity and stillness, risk taking and caution, the sweetness and the saltiness of life.

I won't always get it right, or even understand what the balance is that I'm seeking, but first there is the word, and then the rest may just follow.