Four ways slacklining parallels my life.

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I blame this post on the fact I made a not-that-funny joke about teaching Charming to slackline. Afterward, in my inimitable way, I grew obsessed with the parallels between slacklining and my life.

 

I used to tell people–everyone. anyone who would listen.—what terrible balance I had.

If you handed me a BOSU ball I’d mount, stand pridefully aloft for a fleeting few seconds—-and fall on my face.

When I took the Wii Fit Body Test the results essentially enquired if I often spontaneously fell over.

No joke.

Ive learned a lot about balance in my forties.

From the Tornado. From the Husband. From Charming (<—-post foreshadowing!). From all of you.

Ive focused a lot on balance in my forties.

I’ve BOSU’ed. I’ve stilts walked. And, unbeknownst to most, I’ve slacklined.

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Slacklining is the art of walking & balancing on a piece of webbing strung between two anchored points.

You can tie webbing between trees or poles (Oakland is renown for its urban slackliners) or, if you’re a tree-loving misfit, you can purchase an anchored slackline contraption (you *can* pad trees from webbing, but I’m like The Lorax. I worry about the trees.)

The other day, as I again attempted to make my way between two firmly anchored points, I realized slacklining parallels my life.

The tips I offer adult-friends when asked about life-balance are the same ones I offer the Tornado’s friends when they want to slackline.

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Allow me to elaborate.

Tip #1 Don’t look down! In the same sense as don’t look behind you –you’re not going that way. In life and slacklining keep eyes up and focused *forward.* Look toward your destination. Trust your gut. Let your sense of balance tell you where and how to step. Live intuitively.

 

Tip #2 Chill out. Relax. Focus on releasing tension from arms/shoulders before stepping on the line or out into life. Worrying is praying for what we do not want. Fear based living OR ‘lining doesn’t work. Make that mind/body connection—but don’t over think it.

 

Tip #3 Be consistent. Try new things–but keep returning to the old. From ‘lining to living practice breeds success.

 

Tip #4 Giggle. Laugh. Have fun. Life is short—don’t always be serious and outcome focused. Enjoy the process of slacklining–don’t worry about making it to to the end of the line. PLAYout.

(searching for balance:)

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I’ve learned in life and in ‘lining even simply standing up can be a challenge.

Ask for help. Lean on others. Find your anchored points.

And you’ll succeed.

In both.

  • Have you succeeded in finding your balance in slacklining or life?
  • What are your (literal and figurative) anchored points?

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Comments

  2. Seriously you have just the perfect thing to say whenever I need it!!! This summer I’m trying to exhale more and be where I am. I’m trying to teach this to my 5 year-old who has begun asking what’s next before we are even done with the first thing. Sitting playing on a beach and asking…what are we going to do next?! I’m trying to show here to be…not to keep rushing ahead! Even with all my years in gymnastics…I would certainly fall off that slack line!!

  4. I need more balance these days, but summer with everyone home kills my consistency.

  7. How I freaking love your posts….. incredibly thoughtful – very direct regarding working out yet philosophical. LOVE!!! I often forget to giggle and have fun. It has been a major focus for me!

  9. Great! i have often thought about this on my runs, how you can apply the individual struggles of a run to life, kinda like how when a song comes on, you can almost relate any song to yourself in some way. Doesn’t matter if it is love song, or a song about tractors, we can always relate to it. I find that my workouts often parallel the struggles of life, but we need to keep moving forward and take the hits to get to where we want to be.

    Thanks for this Carla, lovely to read someone else feels the same!

  11. OH. I love the “don’t look backward” idea. When I slackline I always look down.

  13. I love this! Balance is something I am learning quite a lot about this year, and I especially love #2. Just chill out and relax – letting go of fear and expectations can be the hardest thing to do. I am getting there. And now I probably need a slackline!

  14. Worrying is my middle name lately so having lots of trouble with that for sure – things are tougher than my ability to let go right now… trying but not doing to well at it.. As for asking for help, need to get better there too. Sort of stopped leaning & asking lately.. just need to figure this out myself.

    Great post!

  15. I think I do a pretty good job at maintaining balance. It’s not always easy! My husband is usually the one to ground me when I’m getting stressed out and over worked.

  16. Fantastic advice! I find that when the balance tips one way or another too much, I look for ways to pull back where I need to–to say no. This is something I still need to work on, that is for sure (says the woman who just said yes to managing her son’s soccer team).

    My neighbors have a slack line in their back yard. I am now going to use your tips in the literal sense to get better on it!

  17. I think I’d define my life as mostly balanced…thrown out of whack every once in a while, but always manages to come back to the status quo.
    I completely agree with the no worrying advice. I’ve never really been a worrier. Why worry about something until there’s something to worry about, right? Hubs, however….he’s another story. It’s exhausting. 😉

  18. i love the lessons you’ve learned from slacklining. i need to work on all of those things, especially #1 and #4.

  22. Especially on the don’t look down/back. Glance long enough to learn what you needed to learn, and move on. That’s hard for me, i’m learning it every day.

  23. “Slacklining” sounds like it should be right up my alley, what with the word “slack” in front and me being a slacker and all. But apparently it’s a cruel misnomer because it looks like a lot of determination, practice, and patience are required!

    So impressed you went from balance challenged to being able to do something like that!

  24. I have been really curious to try this, too. I’ve seen people do by trying to tie webbing between trees but I’ve also seen them slip and fall!!!

  25. i think you are right, don’t look down. Look straight, laugh (a lot), and for me, balance means i let go. Yes, i may wobble and fall, but i trust myself to get back up

  26. I’m beginning to feel a little suspicious about how you always post something I desperately need to read WHEN I desperately need to read it. *looks behind me* I don’t see you there. 🙂

    Thank you! Balance (both literal and figurative) do not come easy to me, and it’s something I struggle w/ continually. However, my work life is going to be growing a LOT in a couple of months and I’m trying to figure out how to accommodate a very exciting opportunity that will have a long-term positive impact on my career with the increased stress and work that’s likely to come with it.

    Chilling out is the hardest for me. I second guess myself constantly and worry about everything.

  27. That looks SO fun! My daughter would love that! I will stick with the Wii Fit balance games for now 🙂

  28. Look like crazy fun that my family would like. We would probably end up in a special boot but we would like it anyways :).

  30. Same with mountain biking…I wrote about it in 2008 and said the same things…so again…

  31. Ha! I remember when I was in college I always saw people doing this! I had no idea there were so many underlying messages and lessons to be learned! 😉

  33. I have always wanted to try this. I love watching people set up and slack line at local parks. They always amaze me. You often amaze me too.

  34. I *think* I am almost feeling balanced in my life, but I would totally fall on my face if I tried slacklining. That looks like fun though! Stopping by from SITS. Great post!

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