Sometimes we feel bogged down with the worries and concerns we carry. Much of our mind space is spent figuring out how to deal with our challenges. We need to take a step back and realise that there are two approaches we can take. The obvious approach is to keep focussing on the problem and find solutions to reduce the load. For sure this is important, and yet there is another approach we can take simultaneously – find a positive counter-balance in our life.

It is somewhat like the principle of a weighing scale. If one side of the balance is loaded it will go down. To rebalance the scale, we can keep removing the weight from one side, or we can simultaneously find another equally heavy counterweight to bring the scale back in balance.

This unique approach seems counterintuitive, to think of finding something equally positive and uplifting in the midst of severe problems. But when we apply it in our life, we will suddenly realise and discover the three beautiful aspects of this paradoxical approach.

Dealing with a problem expends energy. When we find a counter-balance in life, we allow that energy to get rechannelled towards something positive. This not only changes the colour of our energy, but we also find a continuous supply of willpower and enthusiasm to overcome situations. Problems deplete energy, a counter-balance replenishes our energy.

Problems are like the debit side of a ledger. If the debit balance runs too high, we risk a complete breakdown. Like good accountants of our lives, we need to fill our life with credit balances, even in small measure, keeping life in balance. These credit balances come when we allow ourselves to explore positive things in our life even when we are struggling with challenges. Problems can skew us to a point of breakdown, a counter-balances restores our balance and equilibrium.

Tough situations carry the emotion of stress and anxiety, it is natural. We can deal with stress medically and through professional help, or we can include in our life something positive that cushions the emotion such that we don’t only focus and deal with stress all the time, but it gets dealt with in a natural way. Stress can shock the system, good news is a counter-balance that acts as a shock absorber.

The beauty of it all is that as the gravity of challenges keeps pulling us down, we keep finding the fuel of a counter-balance to stay stable; and when the challenge disappears, we find that the positivity we had developed to help through a difficult time, now propels us into a new orbit in life. Such is the power of discovering our counter-balance.

(Picture-Clocks in Prague city centre)