There wouldn’t be a much of a stretch to say I tend to see the world differently at times. And not surprisingly, the concept of achieving balance in one’s life is one such case.
I’ve never really bought into this whole balance thing and didn’t quite know why. The idea of leading a balanced life just seemed like something that was nice to try but didn’t really address the true problems underneath. A whole lot of effort was being placed into an idea I’m not sure I thought could be achieved.
Then last night I began reading Ervin Laszlo‘s Chaos Point: 2012 and Beyond. There on page 9 I couldn’t believe what I was reading:
Living systems are remarkable systems; they do not move toward equilibrium, as classical physical systems do, but maintain themselves in their improbable state far from chemical and thermal equilibrium by constantly replenishing the energies and matter they consume with fresh energies and matter flowing from their environment. [emphasis mine]
That sure sounds like life to me!
Life is about being in a flow – the flow, constantly changing, constantly moving. Life is asking us to move with it, not against. For us to find balance is to try and achieve something we are not.
And perhaps moving out of balance and into life is one way of letting go.
on Aug 11th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
I’ve re-read this the times on three different days and it still rocks my world. It sits well in my stomach too.
I’d like to hear more about this: “by constantly replenishing the energies and matter they consume with fresh energies and matter flowing from their environment”.
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on Aug 11th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
How can questions not come to mind!!
- Do tell more about what rocked your world about this and
- What comes forward for you when exploring further “by constantly replenishing the energies …”?
Lorraine
on Aug 12th, 2011 at 8:31 am
Maybe “achieving balance” has less to do with “smoothing out the waves” and more to do with “staying true to yourself (ie. keeping balance) while riding them” ???
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on Aug 25th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
@Bonnie – your comment brings to mind the idea of “orientation” as a more distinctive word to use than balance. If we stay true to ourselves then we will always have a place to navigate from, even if the world looks upside down. The world is but we aren’t.
Thoughts?
Lorraine
on Aug 27th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
How are energies replenished? Where does it come from, and where does it go? How does it feel?
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on Aug 28th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
All great questions!
“How are energies replenished? Where does it come from, and where does it go?”
Science would say matter is neither created or destroyed but only changes state. Water could be a good analogy – always flucuating between its solid, liquid and gas states in conjuntion with surrounding conditions but not towards a balanced state. (whoa … where did that come from.)
What are your thoughts on how it feels?
Lorraine