Wow. What a topic. Do I even know where to start. Well, first off, balance is not a state that is achieved one time and then you never have to think about it again – like hitting the high score on the video game and spending the rest of your life satisfied with the knowledge that you did it and never need look at it again. Balance ain’t like that.
Nor is it the image of a tranquil woman, meditating on top of a pile of smooth stones (that’s what I picture)… I don’t know, I just feel like, as a society, we have this idea of balance as a perfect equilibrium that you can reach. But in truth it is something we need to constantly strive for… more like woman walking on a tightrope while drunk than woman meditating atop a pile of rocks, if you get my vibe.
As someone whose philosophy is built on a foundational idea of balance and slowness; I can’t help but feel like a bit of a hypocrite when I struggle with this concept almost daily.
For me, balance is something I have to pour active effort into. Caring for myself, resting, mindful productivity and keeping my space liveable and clean are daily goals for me.
Now I know this sounds exhausting… and low-key, it is. But it’s also necessary, and productive. Because just like drunk tight rope walking… it gets easier and more intuitive with time. And I guess you learn how to handle your booze. Again. This is speculation, I myself have never drunk walked on a tightrope.
So then the question is, if balance is so hard and exhausting, just like… Work? Then what’s the point, why not just exist in a burnout cycle forever, if the balance makes no difference. But here’s the thing. Balance is rebellion in a society that overloads its plates. Slowness is activism in a society that abhors the idea of it.
And the key difference? In my world, at least. Is when I fall off the tightrope of balance and life, what awaits me isn’t a cold hard floor or a sucky performance review. It’s the soft and gentle arms of self compassion, and the knowledge that it’s okay to fall, and take a beat.. and get back on the tightrope to try again.