the art of being

Balance

By DEBORAH CHANDLER, PhD
Posted 1/21/21

We all have opinions.  Do we let these opinions influence how we experience our world?  Do we let conflicting opinions unsettle us?

Or do we have a set of beliefs that anchor us in …

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the art of being

Balance

Posted

We all have opinions.  Do we let these opinions influence how we experience our world?  Do we let conflicting opinions unsettle us?

Or do we have a set of beliefs that anchor us in reality as we understand it? 

When the world seems out of balance, I try to remember that our universe was formed by monumental forces.  These forces were set in motion by the big bang, or perhaps when, in the beginning, it was said, “Let there be light.” We sense a beginning that continues to unfold. 

There was an initial inflation1 that propelled outward the substances and forces that make up our universe.  This inflation has never stopped and has a powerful momentum, continually thrusting outward, creating more space.  I like to believe that this inflation also creates expanding opportunities.  I believe that how I engage with these forces has an impact on the outcome of events.  Will I allow my thinking to expand to include new possibilities?  Will I embrace what is being created now?  Will my contributions join with this expansion, supporting its thrust outward?

When I think of the inevitability of expansion in our universe, I feel my small attempts to drag down inflation are puny and wasteful.  Do I really want to squander myself with anger and resentment?  I want to joyously participate and feel the power of the impetus toward the new.

Here on earth, under usual circumstances of social and political balance, different opinions express the needs of different groups.  Engaging with these differences helps me understand these diverse needs and expand my compassion.  It is out of this expansion of my compassion that I may find a consensus.

Anger is too easy and takes too much from me.  Anger is a force of contraction.  Sometimes I remove myself from the discourse to preserve my inner state.  I suppose this is also too easy.  But I find if I wait, the middle begins to reveal itself.  Once I see the middle emerging, I am more balanced within myself, I am more open to the compromises that are so necessary to democratic governing.

Remember the butterfly effect?  One small movement in a jungle in Peru will influence the snowfall in New York.  We are so interconnected.  This helps me understand how crucial my state of mind is.  When I give way to negativity, I am supporting an outcome I may not want.  I have an obligation to support what I believe in with my whole being.  When I live with compassion and gratitude, I am contributing to the expanding world.

For me, I seek inner balance, knowing that the forces that determine which patterns emerge are influenced by my subtle energies.

1: The inflation period of the origin of the universe describes a time during which the universe grew exponentially.  Some cosmologists assert that inflation continues. 

universe, big bang, opportunity

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