What Does it Take to Find Balance in Your Life?
Years ago, sitting in a small cafe in Mumbai, India, I was having an interesting conversation with an acquaintance. He casually remarked that India is a noisy and high decibel country… He said everyone can hear what’s going on in their neighbour’s house.
On the other hand I gave him an example of how in a country like Switzerland — where it is so quiet — one can still hear what’s going on in your neighbour’s house…
Two very opposing concepts giving rise to the same experience.
It’s interesting that when you look for parallels, you’ll find most in extremely opposing situations… For example, too little rain is an issue but too much is an issue too, too much money leads to crime and so does too little. Highly developed countries and developing countries will both suffer from too much disease.
So what does one do really? Do away with the evils of polarity; with concepts of this and that? Do we simple try to find middle ground, create a balance? And if so, who defines balance?
Today, in a life full of excesses and extremes, what is it that we need to keep us balanced? What do we need to do to be there and still not be there? To keep a safe distance and still get involved. To get immersed in something as you still stay detached.
Here are some of my suggestions:
Become aware of your surroundings
The first step to striking a balance is by becoming receptive to what is happening around you. If you instantly sense imbalance in your surroundings, question why it’s happening. Only when you become aware, will you take the first step toward change.
Create a mindset of acceptance
Most of life’s joys unfold when you are in a state of complete acceptance. Either wanting for something or resisting doesn’t work. Accept what is and then work out the best solution you can for the given situation.
Don’t bite more than you can chew
In all respects, biting more than you can chew only causes indigestion. To avoid adverse outcomes, take in only as much as you need. Be it food, money, work or recreation, create limits for yourself and stick to them.
Have respect for the other
One of the primary reasons for excesses is no respect for the other. We accumulate too much wealth because we don’t know how to share, we talk too loudly because we don’t really care, we experience too much/too little rain because we didn’t respect the environment to begin with.
Stay in tune with yourself
We all know what works for us or doesn’t, what takes us off centre, what shifts our balance. But we often don’t listen to our inner voice, and don’t pay heed to our conscience. By staying connected to ourselves we are staying connected to the larger universe and consciousness.
Ultimately only a balance in ourselves will lead to a balance in our environment. So reach in before you reach out, accept as you let go and stay silent before you speak. You don’t need to choose one or the other, you just need both in equal proportions!
PS: Thanks for taking time out to read my post. You add energy to my pen…
If you like my blog, you can…
1) Leave a comment
2) Press the ❤ button and recommend it
3) Share it with your network
4) Follow me for future posts
