Every week or so I buy a fresh bouquet of flowers for my mom. Ahhhhh. What a great guy! Well, I smoke, drink, and have many particular bad habits, that I need to spend some of my money to good use by bringing something of beauty to the one who brought me into my world.

The other day, I stopped by the florist down the street from us and for the very first time discovered the rock tree. No the tree does not grow rocks. Although jokingly I told the florist I never knew until now where rocks came from. I thought maybe "Boulder" Colorado.

You see, the approximately six foot tall tree had rocks hanging by string on four branches. Each placed at four points as if to create balance. In fact the woman told me that is exactly what it does, creates balance. They read about it in an oriental horticulture book. The tree planted there before died. They couldn't get one to root there. The book said that by balancing the tree and weighting it down, the tree would have a better chance of survival.

In recent months I have discovered articles and references to that same principle as it applies to our lives.Often times the reason why we fail at achieving our goals and dreams is that our lives are not balance properly. It's obvious when you consider the person who works too much. Everything else including marriage and family life suffers.

Balance and success come about by giving the right value or importance to all aspects of our lives. Work extra when necessary and play harder during those times when the pressures of life begin to build. Learn to say no to things that will disrupt the priorities you have set. But as in goal setting write your plans in pencil. Adjust as life changes.

In my mind the four corners of a balanced, successful life are as follows: Spiritual, family, personal and professional. They are in fact in order of importance.

Just like the tree, when we learn to balance our lives our roots grow stronger. We open ourselves to the nourishment that a balanced life provides and the fruits of our efforts are abundant in all four areas. Strong roots help us to stand tall against the most destructive storms.

Hi, I like this posting. And I find that your order of balanced life extremely good (I have tried to follow that too, I have been brought up in very spiritual/religious environment), and it is an order that would change things a lot. I dont say that I follow this order always, but it should be followed. Because IMHO considering the implications to life in general if people had this order, the" ideal order": how many things would happend differently for example some people would work less to achieve expensive things they don't need and thus the time they spend working is off from family and self, leading to a lot of negative effects etc. etc.

Maximmm....

If you really know me you would already know.

What people see or want to see, when not in my house and home are things I want them to see, feel, and understand.

If you want to see, feel, and understand more about my spituality, let me know and I will more than happily take you, show you, maybe even teach you.

Well said Johnny!

i tip my hat to you!

(Now back to an aspect of our imbalanced lives...I still have a bottle of whisky sitting at Inch club....It keeps saying "Johnny.Come see me...I miss you!")

Actually,it is not you that is imbalanced!

I think it is the whisky bottle! ;-P

well expressed.....

I think I understand the 7th paragraph well now