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I recently came through a week of very hard work, chaotic energy and long hours. As I reviewed my goals and progress for the week, I realized that I couldn’t remember much of anything that happened during that week. It was all a muddled blur in my mind, one day blending into the next. I do believe that hard work is good for us. However, if we don’t also include periods of rest, quiet contemplation and recreation, what are we working so hard for? We must also make time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

They say “a woman’s work is never done”, but this holds true for men also. Work in general is never done – which is a good thing really, because if there is no more work to be done, there is no more progress to be made. But constant work without play makes for a very dull existence. The key is balance. It is a difficult thing to achieve for many, myself included. For most of my life I have either been going 100 miles an hour, or stalled completely.

So how do we create balance in our lives? I believe there are four key areas of our lives that require (yes, require!) daily attention. By the way, they are listed in order of importance.

GodSpirituality – taking time to center yourself and commune with God (whatever your interpretation of God may be), is crucial. Prayer, meditation and quiet contemplation are so important to our overall health. It doesn’t matter what religion you practice, it matters only that you make time to honor your spiritual self and your connection to the Divine, every single day. First thing in the morning is best for most people, since it can help you adopt a positive mindset for your day. Or you may prefer the late evening hour before bedtime, to help you de-stress from your day. You don’t have to spend hours on this, 30 to 60 minutes is plenty.

Self – each of us needs time every day to work on our physical and emotional wellness. This is time we can use for exercise, journaling and self-exploration, and hobbies. Again, it doesn’t have to be massive amounts of time, but at least some time for exercise and self-care is necessary. Women especially are good at taking care of everyone else and neglecting themselves. Don’t do that! You cannot fully give to someone else when you are empty yourself. Make yourself a priority, and make time to care properly for yourself, physically and emotionally. Trust me, you will be a much happier person and be able to give that much more to those you love.

SpouseFamily – This is actually two categories, but they do tend to blend together. Time together as a family is so important, and it is something that is sadly beginning to happen less and less in our hurried society. Here are some ways to help that. Make it a priority to have dinner together every single night. No distractions or television blaring in the background. Have a “family day” or “family night” where you spend one evening or perhaps one weekend day together doing something fun as a family – and this doesn’t include camping out around the television. Go to the park and have a picnic, visit flea markets or garage sales, or during the winter you can build a snowman or go sledding or ice skating. Time spent together having fun is the most important thing. This goes for you and your spouse also. Have a weekly “date night” where the two of you spend time alone together, without the kids, and without distraction. Relationships require maintenance to keep them strong. Make it romantic and rekindle the flame that once brought you together.

WorkBusiness – are you surprised I put this last? Most people today put work first and forget the rest, but doing so creates a sense of constant duty and drudgery. Work is important, but it’s not the most important thing in life. If you make the other three categories your first priorities, your time spent working will be much more productive. You won’t feel so burned out and stressed out, and you will accomplish alot more than you would otherwise.

One of the most important things we can do to become more balanced in our lives is master the art of Mindfulness. It means being fully present in every moment, giving our full attention to every task. This can be difficult for many of us, because as we are performing one task, our mind is already moving ahead to the next task, and the one after that. This means that at any given time, we are performing multiple tasks at the same time. One we are performing with our hands, and the others in our mind. What a way to feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

Try focusing only on one task at a time, and I think you’ll be surprised at how much more you can get done, and with less fatigue at the end of the day. It takes practice though. At first you may need to consistently bring your attention back to the task at hand. Your mind may want to keep wandering, as it is used to doing. That’s okay, simply bring it gently back to what you are doing right now, and continue on. With practice, you will be able to master this and feel much more centered and calm throughout your days.

Exchange programs started functioning in the middle of the nineteenth century and successfully continue their existence nowadays. They were established in order to restore peaceful existence after the World Wars and other major conflicts that shook the world recently. All the countries that get their economy onto the international level realize the importance of development of the partnership and establishment of common economical grounds. First exchange took place between the workers and professionals in order to share experience, skills and strategies, but now the authorities took the program to another level. Now students all over the world travel to other countries for definite periods of time and study in foreign universities receiving scholarships. This project has been successful for many years, but the major host, the US, suddenly cut the budget of the programs and stopped the development of others. This may be because of the increase of the military budget, or just because of the program being useful no longer? Let is investigate.

What are the major profits of the country-host, in this case the United States? The country itself is relatively young in comparison with European countries and therefore the history has its beginning when European countries were powerful and prospering. This can in no way be a major difference, but the cultures like Eastern European, Asian and African are unique and ancient and what is more important, completely different from those the US was formed of. The main contribution is a chance for the American families to host a child that can teach them and their children some mysteries about the world surrounding them. Little things matter and after being in contact with a person who was brought up in different world, you realize how much this young individual has brought into your world. Another profit is in establishment of good relations between the countries. Strong bonds created during the stay last long enough for the young men to keep in mind future possibilities of cooperation.

A student that studied in a foreign country is looking forward to a bright future. A resume of such a student is full of facts and skills that are necessary for any type of job. Being an exchange student doesnt only give you a possibility to study a foreign language, but also a chance to become independent, mature, responsible and attentive. The most important thing for a student is not to forget about his own culture, traveling around the globe. The person that doesnt know his own culture can not be called a citizen. Respect for the ancestors, the history, the folkways and the morays of your nation, is what makes you educated.