Balance in life is important. We need to keep in touch with all four dimensions of ourselves: Body, Brain, Heart and Soul. It is easy to get caught up in life and find ourselves out of balance. It is also easy to spend more time in one of these areas at the neglect of others. We are at our best when we run on all four wheels. There are, however, times when we are out of balance as we push ourselves hard and long to accomplish our goals, and there are times when eating junk food from a vending machine is the best we can do. But, if we go too hard for too long, we get cranky, we don t think straight and we begin to lose perspective. We may think we don t have time to exercise, build friendships, or get inspired. In reality, you don t have time not to. Sharpening your saw will pay back immediately because you will be better at everything you do. See pages 203-245.
ACTIVITY Just like a car, we all need regular tune-ups and maintenance. We need time to rejuvenate, to relax, do something we enjoy, pamper ourselves and sharpen the saw. Abraham Lincoln was once asked if he had 8 hours to cut down a mighty tree, what would he do. His response was this- I would spend four hours sharpening my saw. There are four areas that we need to take special care of our the body, the brain, the heart and the soul. We have been taught in health and P.E. classes about the importance of caring for our bodies and we all know how harmful drugs and alcohol can be. We also know that teen sex has its own consequences. Our souls are a very private place where only we are the ones who can provide the needed care. It is just doing the things that help you feel balanced as an individual, like finding your own retreat, or whatever you need to do to get in touch with yourself and have time to ponder. Our brains are totally sharpened by school, so we won t worry too much about that one. The one we can work on is the heart. ACTIVITY Explain Key Concept This one is up to you. Pick an activity that will help them get their balance back. If you have been working hard on test prep or a research paper that has taxed them to their limit, then this is a great time to do something they will truly enjoy. Together watch highlights of I Love Lucy or The Three Stooges. Play a game together where you can laugh and relax. Whatever you do, end the class by talking together about why you provided that activity and the importance of keeping a balance. This is also a time to reconnect with them and get the balance back for you as well. Repeat as needed. DEBRIEF Why did we enjoy this activity so much? Should we have spent it studying? Why or why not? What if we did this everyday? Would we have balance? When do you need balance in your life? What do you do to get back on top of things? How many of you plan time for yourselves in your day planner? Staying sharp includes taking care of your body, brain, heart and soul. What are things we can do to keep all of these in top working order? MATERIALS NEEDED: See Activity Guide above.
See how you do on this assessment : WORKSHEET During your teen years, your voice will change, your hormones will run rampant, and curves and muscles will begin springing up all over. Welcome to your new body! This ever-changing body of yours is really quite a marvelous machine. You can handle it with care, or you can abuse it. You can control it, or let it control you. In short, your body is a tool, and if you take good care of it, it will serve you well. NEVER (N) SOMETIMES (S) ALWAYS (A) N S A I eat a nutritious diet and try to stay away from junk food. I am engaged in physical activity three times or more a week. I sleep at least seven hours a day. I drink lots of water. I shower daily. I wash my hands several times a day. I take walks I play a sport I bike regularly. I exercise daily. I relax in the bathtub. I don t skip meals. I take vitamins. I live a balanced life and take time for a variety of interests. I seek information in books about staying healthy. I am moderate in my eating habits. I listen to my body and try to avoid things that make me feel badly. I don t drink alcohol. I don t use drugs. I don t smoke. TOTAL Give yourself 3 points for each check in the ALWAYS column, 2 points for SOMETIMES and 1 point for NEVER. 50 points and over: YOU ROCK! Under 30 points: You need to pay more attention to your well-being. Now, choose something you can improve and make a plan to improve!
WORKSHEET Have you ever known someone who just seemed smart? If something was going on, they knew about it. Knowledge doesn t just land in people s brains from nowhere. Here s the secret: smart people are usually readers. So, don t let school get in the way of your education! Read the newspaper. Find out what is going on in the world around you. Read a newspaper, magazine or internet newspaper or watch the news on television and see what you can learn. You can keep track of it here - Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday One thing I learned: Show off your new knowledge by sharing with a friend!
WORKSHEET Sometimes we feel that we are on an emotional roller coaster, up one day and down the next. The heart is a temperamental thing. It needs constant nourishment and care, just like your body. The best way to nourish your heart is to nourish your relationships both with yourself and others. Over time, good feelings build on each other. If you approach life this way, you will be amazed at how much happiness you can give others and find for yourself. Choose three of the items listed below and describe the impact of doing each activity over time. Listen to others. Smile when you pass people in the hall. Make deposits into your Relationship Bank Account. Laugh. Say hello to people. Make deposits into your Personal Bank Account. Compliment others. List good qualities about yourself and believe what you wrote. Select an item on the list that will bring the most positive results and perform it each day for a week.
WORKSHEET Taking care of your soul is about focusing on your inner self that lies far below the surface of your everyday self. Your soul is your center, wherein lies your deepest convictions and values. It is the source for inner peace and meaning in your life. You are not only what you eat, you are also what you listen to, read and see. More important than what goes into your body is what goes into your soul. We are influenced tremendously by messages in our society, whether it is from music, television, internet, social expectations, and so on. Like any form of communication, it can be either good or bad for us. Sometimes the bad can influence us without our noticing it. Think about the lyrics to the songs you hear, the messages that television shows portray or how we can be influenced by what we read. Make sure you are only taking in the things that will feed your soul in a way that helps you to keep a balance in your life. What are the negative impacts of society? What is one thing that, when you think about it, probably isn't good for your soul? Spend this week trying to avoid it and see how you feel. You might like it!