Out of Balance Abundance

Which would you rather have ... Love or money?

Regimented security or freedom with few boundaries?

Solitude or a house full of kids?

Work that allows you to play or making play work for you?

"I've looked at life from both sides now ..." sings Joni Mitchell and I can certainly testify it's true for me.

I'm sure there are some who have successfully "managed" equal proportions of love, money, regiment, freedom, solitude, children, work and play ... but I've never met one.

I think the experience of most is bouncing like a pin ball from love to money ... or money to love ...freedom to obligations ... family to living alone ... play to work or work to play.

This has certainly been my experience.

At a recent breakfast meeting I was "advised" over coffee that life's most serious questions are: (1) Are you in good health? ... (2) Do you enjoy the way you're living? ... (3) Are you going to outlive your money? ... and (4) Are you've proud of what you've done?

Of course it's the "outliving your money" one that's stuck in my head ... though I am comforted in knowing that I can answer "YES" to each question.

Four for four!

I've watched lots of people downward spiral in their lives and countless others "crash and burn" ... and I've certainly my fair share of both ... so my life is not perfectly aligned.

BUT ... I've got so much love in my life I'm often overwhelmed to the point of tears.

I'm more in love than I've ever been and freer too ... though I'm not great at Math and can't quite figure out how.

I have more kids than I can shake a stick at, with all but one being a girl ... and girls simply steal your heart.

I work hard at playing and play hard when I work because it should be fun and fulfilling.

A brilliant sun bubbles out of the ocean illuminating the dew on the lush green leaves and I'm lost in thought when Maddie ... the fifth oldest girl in my life ... sticks her head outside ... and the sun hits her face too and she's stunningly beautiful and she smiles at me and says, "Good Morning."

I 've looked at ... and lived ... life from both sides now but I know which I side I'm on.

Mine is one of out of balance abundance.

I don't know how I ever lived it any other way.