How to Keep Your Balance  

Do we sometimes find ourselves losing our balance as we pedal our way through life?

It seems that we’re always being pulled in a million different directions. As we ride through this life, it’s easy to let stress overcome the important balance in our lives. 

Gary K. Palmer gave a devotional in 2007 entitled “The Spokes of a Balanced Life.” He compares our journey through this life to riding a bicycle. He shares how sometimes our bicycle has a few spokes loose, causing us to lose our balance. When that happens, we need to be aware of and know how to bring our lives back into balance.

He discusses a few important ways to help keep balance in our lives:

1. Laugh daily.

Brother Palmer suggests that we “include laughter each day.” It may not be for long, and it may be for a silly reason, but it will bring a little bit of needed happiness into our lives, regardless. 

2. Pray.

Take time every day to pray; invite the Spirit to help you to be happy and successful throughout your day. You’ll notice the results immediately as the Spirit helps you bring balance back into your day. 

3. Serve others.

Losing yourself in the selfless service of others will bless you just as much as it will bless those you serve. Find opportunities to serve those around you; your heart will be filled with powerful feelings of joy that come through service. 

4. “Build your foundation on Christ.”

Christ is the foundation on which we must all build our lives. If not, we will surely crumble. 

As we find a better balance in our lives, things will fall into place and we’ll be able to make sense of which direction we need to go.

Read more about the other spokes of the wheel in Gary K. Palmer’s full devotional, “The Spokes of a Balanced Life.” 

Source: BYU Speeches

—Oakli Van Meter, Latter-day Saint Insights

FEATURE IMAGE BY JACEK DYLAG

Find more insights 

Read about the importance of prioritizing happiness in Jillian Argento’s article “How to Prioritize Your Happiness.” 

Learn how to say no in Samantha Worrall’s article “The People-Pleaser’s Guide to Saying No.” 

Read or watch Reyna I. Aberto’s General Conference address on taking care of our mental health, “Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!”