By Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones
Not Too Much — Not Too Little
“Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.”
~ Brian Tracy
Has the tail been wagging the dog for you in 2022? Do you feel as if parts of your life have spun a bit out of control?
Much to our chagrin, few will argue that the past year has not been one in which certain areas of our lives may have been pulled (or pushed) a little out of balance. Perhaps now would be a good time to put everything on pause, take a few deep breaths and give ourselves a mental, emotional, and spiritual realignment; a tune-up of sorts. Loving metaphor and stories as I do, I offer the following as a place to begin:
As Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree waiting for enlightenment, two musicians were arguing about the sound they were trying to get from their stringed instrument and distracted him. He was weak and tired from not eating or taking care of his body, but he wanted to see what was causing the commotion, and so he dragged himself closer to hear them. One musician would tighten the strings and the other would cry, “Not too tight, because you will break the string.” The other would counter by saying, “Not too loose because the string will only buzz and rattle; in the middle is just right.” The master heard the wisdom in their argument and declared, “That’s it! That’s the key… perfect balance!” Not too tight yet not too loose, not too high yet not too low, not too in yet not too out. The middle path is the way!
The quintessential question is, do you see yourself in any part of this description of imbalance? If so, Buddha’s insights may be of help. Perhaps seeking the middle path is a practice to explore in 2023. Perfect balance: It means not too much, not too little; in the middle is just right. Living in balance will produce an exquisite life where wholeness and deep inner peace are the order of the day.
As a mindfulness practice, consider these six areas of your life as strings on an instrument you play daily:
1. Spirituality
2. Physical Health
3. Emotional and Mental Health
4. Relationships
5. Prosperity and Job Satisfaction
6. Free Time, Avocation, and Self-expression
Invest some time today to explore which of these six strings may need tightening (more attention) and which may need loosening (less attention) to create a balanced life. Creating harmony and balance in your life requires your participation with a willingness to re-prioritize certain things if necessary; you are the conductor – a director of energy – but first you have to be the non-judgmental observer.
Witness the direction in which energy moves in your daily life; what requires tightening and loosening?
Then become a conscious, intentional participant by taking the appropriate action. If you require some support from a mentor or therapist, ask for it.
Make 2023 the year of commitment to fine-tune the instrument called your life; it will amaze you at how harmonious and smooth your new year can be when it is in perfect balance.
Not too much, not too little, indeed; in the middle really is just right.