Balancing my life

Anyone who knows me well, knows that the idea of balance is important to me. It's a major part of my value system and my spirituality. I've even considered getting some symbol of balance permanently tattooed on my body, but for now that's just a fun thought.

I see the importance of balance everywhere, from the food pyramid, to training for a half marathon, to tending a garden, one thing holds true - it's important to try to maintain balance.

Today I attended a service at First UU in Portland. The sermon was entitled "Perfect Equilibrium", and as you might expect, it spoke to me. I thought the minister, who was visiting from All Souls in NY (what, what), had a strong central thesis.

He spoke of balancing in terms of desire. Sometimes we should fulfill our desire, and sometimes we should abstain. But how do we decide? We decide by asking ourselves what is going to further our values and ideals. If fulfilling our desire will contribute to our values and ideals, then we should give ourselves the green light. On the other hand, if giving into our desire will detract from our values and ideals, well then maybe we should stay put.

I found this framework helpful for me, and it sharpened my concept of balance. It also got me thinking, that while I've trumped up the idea of balance in my life, I haven't given it the full attention it deserves.

I've failed to create balanced relationships. I'm coming to realize that many of my relationships, be they romantic, platonic, or familial, are out of whack. Either I give to much and I let the other person slide without asserting myself, or I take advantage of someone else's generosity, without giving them the attention or honesty they deserve. Either way, I am doing the relationship a disservice. But as they say, awareness is the first step towards change. So here goes...

Random thought: Today I locked my keys in my car at the ultimate frisbee game in Portland. Luckily for me, a nice woman called AAA. Right before AAA got there, my new friend Lee gerry-rigged some wire and duct tape and opened the door - presto! And we told the AAA guy that his services were no longer required -sorry dude! The whole experience got me wondering though - will AAA break in to anybody's car?!?!? I'm almost tempted to find out.