Balance. The ultimate state of being. But what do we seek to balance? Many of you who read these postings are most likely familiar with the concept of Mind, Body, and Spirit. But how many realize that all we have ever done is seek to improve one of the three, at any point in our lives?
Here are some examples. You may have an incredible body, that is in "perfect" shape, you may exercise 6 days a week, for 6 or 7 hours out of the day, or perhaps you go to the gym more than once a day. Perhaps this focus on mastering your body has been your all consuming purpose in life. For many that I've met in my life, that statement is true. Now what can be said of the minds of some of these people? Do they allow for proper time to refine their perspective on life, or perhaps to gain knowledge in other areas? What of their spiritual growth? Inevitably, without a balance within the mental, or the spiritual aspects of your being, an individual such as this may become conceited, high maintenance, or materialistic.
Likewise, an individual that spends their entire time researching, and studying metaphysics, or spirituality, may equally become unbalanced in their physical bodies. Perhaps neglecting proper nutrition, and exercise. They spend all of their time in the conceptual world of ideas, where none of them actually manifest (through the body), because they are too busy in the realm of fuzzy ideas. Without a balance in this area, an individual may become pias, or "holier than thou", without understanding the various perspectives of other life, and the value that can be obtained through empathy.
And finally, an individual who focuses strictly on knowledge, is incredibly lost. As there is an infinite field of knowledge that exists, but without the understanding of "principle concepts", no transference of ideas can be had from one subject matter to the next. So life becomes an effort in soaking up as much knowledge as possible... without realizing the difference between knowledge and understanding. These individuals may become unbalanced in their bodies, and their spirits, as their egos will most likely overcompensate. These professional students in life, often have difficulty applying knowledge, which is the method of wisdom. These individuals are often arrogant, as they feel that their various degrees in whatever subject matter gives them the ability or the right to look down on others. Again not realizing, or understanding the lack of balance in their lives.
What does this have to do with you? Take this scenario with the above three characters.
They all look into a mirror, and character 1 has the following to say:
"I have a great body, I look fantastic, but I feel self conscious about my education. Once this body goes, I will have nothing to fall back on."
Looking in the mirror, character 2 has the following to say:
"I have a deep understanding of all of reality, yet I cannot seem to pay the bills, and I cannot seem to lose the weight."
Looking in the mirror, character 3 has the following to say:
"I have several degrees, and I'm incredibly educated, yet my body seems to fail me at times, and I still seem unfulfilled (spirit)."
Now Imagine these three characters meet with each other, and all know each other. It wouldn't take long to understand that each may become envious of the other. Think of the additional processing power that could be freed up by your brain if you didn't have to think about correcting these core systems of your life. Think of how everything you'd do would be simply enhanced by the additional processing power of your mind, which no longer has to process (consciously, or unconsciously) your failings, or your unbalanced state.
You will naturally, whether you realize it or not, you will NATURALLY seek to balance these aspects of your core system. If your conscious mind does not play a role in this, then the balance will come in the form of life events... sometimes catastrophic. But thankfully, the smaller hints come first. As long as you're paying attention.
How does this affect you? Well speaking with my younger brother, on the balance of life, and the purpose of existence, I recommended that at his age, he should seek to ingrain the habits in his life and that young age, that would benefit him when he is older. When you're older, it is more difficult to break existing "bad" habits, so instead create habits when you're young that enable a balanced life style.
Example:
Physical: Sports, i.e. soccer, martial arts, basketball
Mental: Reading, courses, researching, writing
Spiritual: Music (guitar, piano, etc.), writing, yoga, meditation
Doing these things everyday, will balance you. Or you can find similar activities that enable your growth in all areas... commit these things to memory, develop daily (rituals) habits, and physically do these things. This will bring you into harmony, enhancing your entire life, allowing more growth in any industry or field of work, and bringing you closer to understanding yourself.
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