Balance

May we find balance.

Tim Falls

31 May 2021 — 2 min read

"It's all about balance"

My father has shared these words with me throughout my life, always reminding me when I need it most. It’s one of the first sayings that comes to mind when I think of the wisdom I’ve received from my elders.

As well as I understand it intellectually, balance remains elusive. I'm constantly eyeing and pursuing it and sometimes embracing it for a few fleeting moments before it slips away again until next time.

The month is ending, and here I am, squeaking in May's edition at the last minute. One may conclude that balance has alluded me since the last edition, and one would be correct.

Reflecting on balance

This month, I was reminded that I can become out of balance by doing too much of something I love—that is, imbalance can come from good, healthy, positive things.

I usually think about imbalance coming from doing things that are bad, unhealthy, or negative — like drinking alcohol or eating too much sugar.

Balance (or imbalance) comes in all flavors.

Good thing overload

I recently enrolled in an online no-code course. I jumped into it and went straight to the deep end. I just completed the 5-week course, and I'm jazzed. I learned and created a ton and connected with a supportive community. I brought ideas to life that had been brewing in my head and notebooks for months and years. Learning no-code opened new doors of possibility for me and empowered me to pursue entrepreneurship.

But all that awesome had its tradeoff: balance.

I was so excited about this work that I neglected other aspects of life that also bring me joy and contribute to my well-being: time with family, exercise, meditation practice, music making, and meals.

I convinced myself it was okay to skip meals and workouts and stay on my computer instead of hanging out with loved ones. Exploring a passion and being creative is always healthy, right?

Ignoring the requirements for balance, I found imbalance.

As a student of Buddhism might point out, imbalance can lead us to suffering.

Reel it back

One of the beauties of life is its cyclicality. Each week, day, and minute is a cycle, an iteration, a do-over (kinda). To find balance, we iterate our way back to the middle, with little doses of the medicines that make us well and wise.

In June, I may go too deep into my next learning experience. If so, I will do my best to remember May and do what I know will lead me back to balance.