I sometimes find it quite a challenge to find a balance in my spirit, as well as the other parts of my life.  It seems like the entire world is nothing but excess and the next big thing.  Being unbalanced in spirit can certainly spill over into every part of life, even the most organized life.  I like to think I'm an organized person, but some days it sure does not feel that way.

You know how your health depends on eating a good diet?  I believe spiritual practice has to be in balance to achieve harmony in all areas of life and to be spiritually healthy.

How does the imbalance happen?  It happens when you spend too little time in spiritual practice.  It also can happen if you spend way too much time in spiritual pursuits.

For example, I spent a goodly portion of my life feeling empty and without purpose.  I was disconnected from my spirit.  Once I began exploring my spiritual side, I felt more in tune with my life and my purpose in it.  Meditation is a great place to start.  It doesn't have to be long and drawn out either.  Five or ten minutes in the morning or before you go to bed will enhance spiritual awareness.  

It is easy to get carried away once you start to feel good spiritually and you really feel an urge to gain more spiritual knowledge.  Watch out that you don't start neglecting family and friends by spending all your time in spiritual pursuits.  We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.  The main thing is, you still have to live in this world, so don't forget that and let problems arise.  

Here I will share a little of what I have learned so far in seeking a more spiritual life while still maintaining balance in other areas.  

1)    I had to realize that the journey itself is the goal.  It is easy to get carried away because you are trying to just "get to the finish line."  Once you get there, you think you will finally feel content and spiritually fulfilled.  

What it sometimes takes awhile to realize is that you will never reach that final goal where your journey will be complete!  Spiritual practice is a lifetime of development and growth.  So, slow down - there is nothing to hurry to because you're already there.  In the middle of the journey is just where you want to be.  

2)    When I started my journey, I tried to absorb everything I could get my hands on about gaining spiritual wisdom.  I read book after book, searched for information on the Internet and sought out others of like mind.  This became overwhelming and I realized I had to take my time and enjoy each new insight as it came.  I found I could linger over each nugget of wisdom and enjoy the knowledge I gained instead of hurrying through everything at once.  Again, I had to slow down.  

3)    Speaking of seeking out others of like mind, I spent a lot of time with spiritual gatherings, classes and seminars at the beginning of my journey.  It got the point where I was spending more time in these pursuits than I was with my family and friends.  

The lesson I learned here was that I needed the other connections in my life in order to get and stay balanced.  What I found surprising at first was that I had more in common with my family and friends spiritually than I thought.  I just had to slow down and take the time to look.

Balance in spirit will come the longer you stay on your spiritual journey.  You will get to the point where you can relax and enjoy what comes next.