Keeping Your Balance in an Upside Down World

"Perfect Symmetry"

I have been on a life-long quest for balance. How about you? It seems that the world we live in creates imbalance. Especially right now. To have balance we must consciously create it in our lives. Have you ever noticed that the minute you think you’ve achieved balance that something creeps in to upset that momentary state of bliss?

How would you define balance? Is it the perfect state of being or perhaps being able to manage your to-do list and still have time to relax? For me, balance is about being in right relationship with myself and with the world.

I become more balanced through spiritual practice—especially the practice of meditation. Meditation helps to quiet the mind and emotions and bring the body back into alignment or balance. It is like taking time to pick up the scattered pieces that inevitably get spread around during the day.

By sitting still, going within, inviting God’s Spirit to put me back together and focus my energies, I find that I create an inner balance. This inner balance begins to change my interactions in the world and I start create more balance in my life.

If you neglect your quiet time, you will find that it is more difficult to keep your life in balance. It naturally turns into overdoing and over-committing. Emotionally this is just as important. In the roller coaster times we are living in, it is essential to be balanced emotionally or you will get sucked into the fear and negativity that is circulating in our world right now.

Many of my friends are glued to the news. This pulls them into an emotional imbalance that is difficult to shake. Just as we maintain personal hygiene, it is important to maintain spiritual, mental, and emotional hygiene. If you do not want to be contaminated with fear, you must make choices about how much you will expose yourself to those energies.

We are in charge of what we allow into our lives far more than we realize. We are currently experiencing the effects of being a part of a group that has made some poor choices. As a result, we are part of this collective experience. How we respond to it, however, is a matter of personal choice.

To counteract the negative right now we can make sure that personally we are staying on the positive side of things. Reaching out to help others and trying to make a positive difference in our world is the other piece of creating balance in difficult times.

We cannot be a positive agent for change in the world if we are depressed and fearful ourselves. Regular spiritual practice that includes service to others is a great antidote for fear and depression. It helps to create balance in our lives and get us through some difficult times. I love the statement by Gandhi, “Be the change…”

Comments

Julie Smith said…
Hi Dee,

I was looking at your blog--how lovely!! I noticed that you enjoy meditating, also. It seems that this is key to keeping one's peace of mind and also to help hear the voice of Spirit in your life.

Many blessings to you and thanks for stopping by.

Julie
Julie,
I agree with you and appreciate your suggestions. Truthfully though, I am in a slightly different place in that I have given up the notion of achieving balance, because I think by its very nature, balance is completely unachievable. (I never could actually find it.) I started instead to focus on inner harmony. Harmony felt softer, kinder, more compassionate. Guess what? Harmony works for me. I am now more relaxed and peaceful than I have ever been and I feel as if my body, mind, and spirit, are working together in profound new ways...all through shifting my perspective and focusing on rhythm and flow...Harmony.
Julie Smith said…
Hi Jan,

Oh, I so agree with you. Harmony is a beautiful way to find balance or to be in harmony with oneself and with the world.

I am enrolled in a contemplative musicianship course right now through the Chalice of Repose Project. Music has so many wonderful metaphors for describing a state of being that is truly divine!

Right now I am studying the harp. The instructor for this course is a genius at describing the spirituality of voice and instrument. Spiritual practice through music is an area I am very interested in and hope to do some writing on in the future.

I love your ideas here. Thanks so much for sharing.

By the way, thanks for your thoughtful comments on Magdalene Musings. I did not see them until the other day. I thought I would be notified if a comment was left, but I guess I don't have that feature turned on on that blog! You are such a dear :) Blessings in your ministry!

Julie