Balance- Yin and Yang

 

 

Most of us would agree that to be fully human is perhaps our most worthy pursuit. But, what is the ideal way to live in this world? 

Is living a life in safety, under strict discipline and order, much better then a life of total undisciplined freedom, which may veer us down a path of chaos and disorder?  Most of us will agree that order seems better then dealing with the challenges that take us out of our comfort zone, in a personal world, that is chaotic. But, too much order in our life can cause disease in strange ways that are not as obvious as the disease caused by chaos and disorder. Obsessive compulsions with its tendency toward the activating of excessive order can cause us to be stressed just as much as  the dysfunction caused by too much passive disorder. To live on the edge, the precipice, between order and chaos is a delicate balance; its a balance between the extremes of an obsessive, ordered carefulness with that of a passive disordered carelessness. To push the limits, our boundaries , is to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Being healthy is living  balanced, and avoiding extremes as much as possible. 

 

 

The need for excessive order can make us fearful...because we need control. This can lead to obsessive compulsions and the need to manipulate every detail of our lives. There seems to be less freedom in a controlled state. 

Living out of balance with nature, in too much  disorder, tends to stress the body and mind. Living in this dis-eased state, under constant dysfunctional stress, is perhaps the greatest cause of our diseases. 

The drive toward one polarity whether its order or disorder, overrighteous or overwicked, wise or foolish, dominate or passive, when taken to extreme, causes dysfunction, duality and an unnatural way of living.

 

 

To be free, is to take risks with one foot in the unknown and the other on solid ground. 

 

 my granddaughter when she was making her first steps

Grace

There is a saying... ' you are no closer to God then in a garden'. I enjoy gardening more and more each day. Today,  I picked a perfectly ripe red tomato off a very healthy looking vine. I looked at it, felt it , smelled it, and became very thankful for it. I thanked the plant and the insects for pollination. I thought about the whole process from sunlight to food and its all so amazing. I didn't wash it , I trusted the process, it was perfect. I bit into this delicious fruit off the vine right there in the moment. Wow! what a taste.

Thank You! Thank You!

The sun , the elements , the water and the life force all worked together to produce fruit on a vine, in order to provide sustenance for another living being. We have so much to be thankful for. To acknowledge the miracle of a tomato on a vine ready to eat is beyond comprehension. What a mystery? We live and move and have our being in this total mystery we call life; life given by grace. But, what is this grace out poured every millisecond in our lives by this unknown mystery?  This universal will to give life without concern for outcome seems like  a form of love.  We have heard the phrase 'it is more blessed to give then to receive' , well,  a similar thought came to me a couple days ago,  'you will never want for giving' . I have been giving these tomatoes to all my family and neighbors and yes I do feel blessed because of it. There seems to be a connection between, giving, gratitude, grace and feeling blessed.  Being blessed for me, means, to be loved by a divine providence. I sense that daily. I repeat often ...'I live by grace', these words always seem to pull me out of an anxious thought pattern.. It is very powerful.

The grace of life is poured into all of us, continually. Some are thankful and feel blessed.Others are ungrateful and suffer from a sense of lack. Being grateful, we feel happy and content. Being ungrateful only reinforces a sense of lack.

Give thanks with a grateful heart, for all of life, this is the way of happiness and contentment.