Thanks for sharing the article and bringing up this topic, fern. I'll get it out of the way and say that I'm also not a big fan of what Gwenyth Paltrow is doing with this "Goop", but I did look at the article with an open mind, trying to block her out. In the end, though the article was not written exactly how I wish it was written, it did contain substance. It made sense on most all levels.

I aim for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance. I know having a good balance of all DOES make for a healthier and happier me. Many suggestions were reasonable ones, though they don't all rock my boat, and that's OK. I'm sure you agree. I used the words "aim for" and not "strive for" because "strive" implies "struggle" in my mind. "Strive" also makes me feel like not achieving a "high grade", in such a pursuit, would be a form of failure. I don't like that pressure. I have put that pressure on myself and suffered the consequences. Yes, I know in the article it specifically references such pressure as "over-balanced toward Yada Yada", but I wish it was more specific in saying that doing one's best, as you can, is OK. But of course I don't mean becoming resigned to a certain unhealthy mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual state.

Sometimes in my life, the stars do seem to become aligned. Those are lovely days, indeed! But most of the time, there is some imbalance. I try to remind myself what's going right (or not so bad) and take fuel from that to avoid falling apart, or fuel another area. And that's OK. When all areas of my life seem in a deep pit of imbalance, I know I must reach out for as many helpful hands as possible, or take a figurative short nap. But NOT a permanent one!

I know that I must make hard choices sometimes, to help improve balance. That can mean, in my book, giving up something, at least temporarily, that I'd usually be unwilling to give up. Or, doing something else to compensate.

Another thing I've learned is to NOT compare myself to others. We have our own challenges, and many here do have bigger challenges than, let's say perhaps, Gwenyth Paltrow or the author of the article you referenced. However, if one insists on grading themselves on degree of overall balance, some should be given "bonus points" as a starting point. We all know that accomplishment that comes easy is not nearly as admirable as accomplishment that comes hard. My total "system" may never work as efficiently as a more technologically advanced one, but it can start to work closer to its own personal best. Upgrades over time can help. Indeed, a total team can make that happen easier than one person/thing alone. [Boy, I learned that the hard way!] More brain power. Less strain on one person/thing alone. If something/someone is dragging the effort behind, it needs to be replaced, better trained, transferred to an area where its value is higher, or even let go. I know that's where analysis and subsequent implementation of systems efficiency/improvement comes in.