2.17.2009

THE BALL JUST KEEPS ROLLIN'

"The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man."
Euripides

How do you follow your bliss, or your passion in life and still keep a balance on top of that ball that just keeps rolling along?

Life doesn't always give us what we want. By some peoples account, not very often do we get what we want, but we get what we need often enough to keep going.

I've met or heard about many people you would think don't have a care in the world. You would think they have a perfect life. Everything must go just right for them. Then you listen to their story, their life, and you discover their beginnings were less than perfect, their losses more than you think you could live through and keep smiling.

But there they are. Moving forward. Stretching a hand out to help someone else. Often times it seems they even draw from these hardship in life to give to others, to write, to art, to music, to make brilliant the colors of their lives by following the thing that makes them happy or where they find truth.

I'm sure none of us, in fact, have had lives without challenges. And none of us have had lives entirely without those things we are grateful for.

Life is never all one way. We have our desert times and our riverbank times.

The trick in life, or the secret, is to find that balance between the inner life and the outer. The ability to keep self safe and the desire to keep others safe. A balance between the head and the heart. Using both in a way that neither runs away with the show. And even if that should happen, regrouping and getting them back in the same wagon, working together for balance so it doesn't tip over.

It seems to me that this search for balance is not just a personal, or individual thing.

We can all see how our country is struggling for balance right now.

I've heard it said the farthest distance in the world to bridge is the 16 inches, between the head and the heart. There is an abundance of opinions out there. Multiple... On every side of an issue. Right now we can hardly afford to lose the passion for finding the best way for the most people. Nor can we reject reason and logic because we want it now.

Sometimes we need the radical fringes to bring us to our senses and show us the center path where we can find the life saving balance we need, where we can meet and learn to listen in respect, if not agree with, other people.

Balance may seem dull and boring from the fringe lines, but living out there can be a little to exciting for good health.

6 comments:

  1. What a beautiful and profound post. This gives me much to think about. I am one who lives too much in my head. I neglect my heart so much that it is likely to kill me one of these days just out of spite.

    That you see this personal challenge as the larger macro challenge is genius.

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  2. That is a really lovely post. So much truth and goodness in it - I especially liked the reference to the sixteen inches between the head and the heart. I shall remember that!

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  3. Thank you both for sharing my small space, and the views I have of the world and how I see things.
    My hope is that all of our communications can help expand our thinking and feeling to include people how are different, from you, and you, and me, to listen and hear what their concerns are.
    The basics for any human being is the same. We all need, food, shelter, meaningful work, love... Mallows' hierarchy of need. The differences always come in how people perceive how to go about getting these things.
    If only we could find a way to get these needs met without disenfranchising some other group of people to do it.

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  4. Thanks so much for visiting my blog, Linda! I've really enjoyed reading your posts.

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  5. What a thoughtful post. Lots of wisdom there, lady!

    Will come back and visit again soon..

    ~Silver
    from One Day at a Time

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  6. You are so smart, Linda...and thank you for visiting my page. I think I am just using my writing as an outlet for my and others pain that I held inside for many, many years. I am searching for that balance through exploring my creative side and my new found confidence that I am worthy to try other things to help me achieve that balance...music, yoga, etc. etc. I decided this is the year to indulge on myself! You are so sweet and thank you for caring enough to post. Years ago, I went through a divorce and experience what your son did...I hope he is doing well..as it does get better - in time.

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