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Today's
Meditation:
Boy, can I relate to this. I love being around
people, but I also love being by myself. There are
so many positive elements of each state that it's
sometimes difficult for me to decide which one I want to
seek at any given moment. The difference between me
and Joad is that I don't seek out people for fear of
loneliness-- I seek them out because I enjoy being with
other people. And I don't want to get away from them
because I'm bored-- I just want to have some quiet time to
think and rest.
Finding a balance is often difficult. Sometimes we
find ourselves in one situation until we reach our point
of saturation with it and we become completely
overwhelmed. At that point, if we're not able to
escape from it and get a rest from it, we face some pretty
major results such as crankiness, anger, conflict, or
burnout. If we spend too much time in one of our
many rhythms, we neglect the others to our own detriment
and often to the detriment of the people we love.
At times, when I'm doing some important work or I'm
working on a novel, I crave to get out among people.
I know, though, that it's important for me to stay focused
and to keep going with the work or I'll never get it
done. I have to keep a clear view of what I'm doing,
how important it is, and my chances of actually finishing
something if I leave it every time I get the desire to do
something else.
Life is about balance. And if you do seek out others
for fear of being lonely, keep in mind that times being
alone are valuable, too. Likewise, if you head home
because others are doing things that you don't want to do,
then keep in mind that time on our own is valuable,
too. Too much of anything is simply too much, and
too little of anything keeps us wanting more, sometimes to
the point of distraction.
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