I like hiking up mountains, I always know I will get to hike down hill on the way back. I look forward to being tired, because I know it will lead to me being well rested. My life is riddled with duality: two opposite conflicting sides always competing.
In school, I learned the scientific concept of homeostasis. This idea that nature is always trying to find it’s balance. Weather fronts bring temperature and precipitation changes to create habitable environments for the living organisms of earth. The human body requests food when hungry or feels “full” once fed. I have spent years reflecting on this concept and now find it little surprise that everything in my life is constantly trying to stabilize.
A life dedicated to work is a life unlived. A life of leisure is a life without purpose. A life spent focused on guilty pursuits is a life spent at the expense of humanity. A life without pleasure is a life of regret. Unfortunately, there is no unit of measurement that can tell one on which side of the pendulum they sit. It is up to the individual to be in constant assessment. I now wonder, what if we shifted the way we viewed life? Now looking at the macro sum of all parts instead of a daily decision?
Periodically I will strike the perfect balance for reaching an equilibrium in life. An adequate amount of time at work yields purpose and money (money being a resource for fueling my life). I commit to my personal needs for exercise, relaxation, and hobbies. Lastly, and most importantly, I make time for family and friends. For without them I would be nothing.
The difficulty in achieving this balance is having the awareness of where you lie in each category. Can you admit when you are being lazy and neglecting the work that is needed for life? Do you know when you have not given credence to those who support you? Or when you deprive yourself of what makes you, you? Cognition and observation can help unlock this balance, and that’s all I gotta say about that.