Today's episode has to do with the theme of the month within our community over at The Marksman's Quarter: finding balance. I thought this was an appropriate topic because I just came off of a month-long break from writing or recording, and wanted to talk a little bit about what led to that hiatus and the things that have been on my mind.
Evaluating Circumstances
I'm generally a laid-back kind of guy who prefers to go with the flow. However, that's not my natural inclination. It's something I have to force myself to do or else I would be trying to compete in all areas of my life at an unhealthy level. I'm very "Type A."

What led to the hiatus was a realization that I was burning the candle on both ends with napalm. So much of my energy was going into my professional career and working on The Everyday Marksman that I was neglecting my relationships, particularly my family.
Mind, Body, Soul
I often think about the lessons I want to teach my son as he gets older. One of those is about the balance of mind, body, and soul. While I don't mean this in strictly religious terms, it's still related.

* Mind is a combination of what you know and can do; and you earn it through study, experience, practice, and training
* Body is your physical strength and health- and it stems from a healthy lifestyle
* Soul is your mental and emotional wellbeing earned through family, community, charity, and piety

Notice that nowhere in there did I mention gear or equipment. Those things are tangential. They are tools, and they only matter insofar as they are reliable. You can't buy your way into balance. So how does this affect you as an Everyday Marksman? The history books are filled with amazing feats of accomplishment. I've interviewed olympians, special operations snipers, bodybuilders, and more. The thing that stands out to me is the pure dedication and commitment each of them show to their craft. What often goes unsaid is the sacrifices they have to make along the way.  As with most things, the more emphasis you put in one area, the higher the probability that you will suffer in another. You and I are not necessarily Olympians, so why would we want to live our lives like one? 
Balance for Marksmen
The greatest rifle and shooting skill in the world isn't going to build an emergency shelter in bad weather, survive a disaster, or communicate in an emergency. To me, The Everyday Marksman is about finding the balance point between all of these areas and working to live a well-rounded capable lifestyle.

Your challenge for the month is to evaluate your life, your priorities, and your actions. Think about where you're putting in the most emphasis, and where you're neglecting. Then work to make that balance happen.

Also important in this effort is having a group or tribe to help you along the way. Maybe that's your family, a close group of friends, a club, church, or whatever. If you have it, then awesome. If you don't then I invite you to join our tribe in The Quarter.

That's it for this one, take care.