Do you ever feel like your life is out of control? Like there’s so much going on and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to get on top of things?

I think lots of us feel this way. Now I know there’s a logical reason why we feel this way, because I just read In Search of Balance.

The book was written by Dr. Richard Swenson, who also wrote the acclaimed Margin. In his newest book, Dr. Swenson explains that being overwhelmed by feelings of stress these days is a normal reaction to the ever-increasing rate of progress in our world.

In fact, in the first half of the book, he gives evidence that progress continues to speed up and that we’re living in a time of ever-increasing technological advances. The result is that we’re overwhelmed with details and they just keep coming at us at increasing rates of speed.

So it’s not our fault. It’s the times we live in. But that doesn’t mean we have to just accept it. By making an effort to regain balance in our lives, we can enjoy technological advances without letting them dictate the speed at which we live our lives.

I especially liked Dr. Swenson’s chapter “Countering the Escalation of the Norm.” The good times of recent years led to people buying larger homes and pricier cars without realizing how hard it would be to pay for these things and how long it would take. He suggests more modest possessions so that we don’t have to spend our lives working to pay for more things. I think the economy is going to cooperate with him on that one.

Dr. Swenson writes from a Christian perspective, so his advice is wise and sprinkled lightly with Scripture. This book is a soothing explanation for why we feel so stressed out and what we can do about it. It’s an especially good read for busy parents who feel like there’s just not enough time to do what they need to do. It’s worth making the time to read this book so you can learn techniques for conquering that feeling.