What's your ideal self

[nhamza]

By Nashwan Hamza
The good news is that my ideal self is alive and well. The bad news is I don’t often let it be. My concept of “ideal” is to live with balance in all the various parts of my life, giving enough time and energy for work, play, family, spirit, health and all the other components of living. I feel happiest when I have given each the attention I would like. And conversely I feel a lacking or sadness or even guilt when one or more is neglected. The truth is they are rarely if ever in balance, and yet I’m not always feeling down. I don’t often think about the imbalance until something tips. I gain weight, I miss my family, I feel lonely or I even will feel guilty when I see a homeless person. When any of these “signs” or “reminders” occurs, they tell me I’m not living my “ideal” self. The reason I don’t always feel down is because like most of us I ignore it and bury myself in the other activities, saying to myself that I’ll get to it soon. I place greater value on one area than another and at times that may be necessary, but more often its simple neglect.