A few Sundays ago, I was in the mood for baking. This may come as a shock to those who know me because I am a decent cook, but not a baker. It was a cloudy and rainy Sunday and a perfect day to be in the kitchen. Although I’m not a great baker, I have mastered making zucchini bread. Without taking inventory of my pantry, I went to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients I thought I needed. When I returned home, I discovered I didn’t have enough flour and I had run out of vanilla extract. An experienced baker would have gone back to the grocery store or delayed the baking for another day, but “Nooooo” not me. I figured it would not make much of a difference because I didn’t have some of the missing ingredients. For you experienced bakers, you already know how this story is going to end. After placing the mixed ingredients in the oven, it wasn’t long before I knew this zucchini bread was not going to turn out well. The missing ingredients, especially the extra cup of flour, would have definitely made a difference. Needless to say, I ended up throwing that batch of zucchini bread away.

Like the zucchini bread, life is made up of several ingredients: our spirituality, our love and relationships, our health and wellness, our career and work, our finances, and our personal development. When one of these ingredients is missing, it can cause our entire life to be thrown out of balance.   For example, if your health is suffering, you may not be able to work; and if you aren’t able to work, it could cause financial problems which could cause your relationships to suffer ultimately throwing your entire life off kilter.

In an article titled, “The 8 Elements of a Balanced Life,” Michelle (The Balanced CEO) describes eight pillars to maintaining a balanced life: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental, financial, and occupational.

1. Mental. Develop a mindset that helps with clarity, confidence, the ability to learn and grow new skills, be creative, and think independently.
2. Physical. Take care of your body through healthy balanced nutrition, exercise, and proper sleep.
3. Emotional. Understand how thoughts and feelings affect us. The way we feel has a huge impact on our level of motivation, actions, behaviors, and results.
4. Spiritual. Seek meaning, value, and purpose in life.
5. Social. Develop healthy relationships and connecting with others. Being surrounded by meaningful, supportive, and positive people helps to feel safe, respected, and accepted.
6. Environmental. Respect the environment around you.
7. Financial. Learn how to manage finances and avoid financial stress.
8. Occupational. Involves work whether it is owning a business or having a job or career.

Last Sunday, I redeemed myself by ensuring I had all the ingredients needed to bake the zucchini bread and it turned out perfectly. Take inventory of the ingredients in your pantry of life; is there anything missing? If there is, work on developing that area of your life so that you can experience a fulfilled and balanced life.

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