In Balance

"To allow oneself to be carrier away by the multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands...to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence...It destroys the fruitfulness of one's own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful." This quote from the book Slow is Beautiful has me pondering many things this evening. I haven't actually read the book, the quote was shared in the most recent issue of In Balance the newsletter of New American Dream (and the quote is actually from Thomas Merton--Cecile Andrews quoted him in her book and then the quote was re-quoted in the newsletter. Simple?! ;-). I have mixed feelings about the quote--it resonated with me, which is why I wanted to share it, but it also has a slight flavor of narcissim! I feel that sense of "drowning" that I get sometimes--where all of the things on my to-do list are threatening to crush me. I should remember that these things ebb and flow and within the next few weeks, I'll probably hit a slow spot again (which means it is okay to "save" some of the things that I feel pressing until later--virtually none of the things I want to be doing or feel like I should be doing are actually essential!). There are SO many good causes and so much good work to be done in the world--I want to be involved in everything! (but, then I feel taut and unhappy and snappish. But...without "good work" to do, I feel lacking in value. So, it returns to finding balance,which is the major point of the whole New Dream organization and philosophy--can I just say again how I love their tagline: "live consciously, buy wisely, make a difference." This should be my personal motto as well!

Balance is elusive for me, though I recognize the feeling of being so.

Tomorrow is my birthday! I should gift myself with going to bed promptly!