Balance….

Most of us have seen a high wire or tight rope walker. According to Wikipedia:

“…Tightrope walking is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope, usually at a great height…. Tightrope walkers sometimes use balancing poles ….”

“..maintain their balance by positioning their centre of mass directly over their base of support, …..their lateral support having been drastically reduced…. the ankle is the pivot point.”

“…. may use a pole for balance or may stretch out his or her arms perpendicular to her trunk in the manner of a pole. This technique …..distributes mass away from the pivot point and moves the centre of mass out. This reduces angular velocity … The result is less tipping…..correct the sway by rotating the pole sideways. This will create an equal and opposite torque on the body.”

I am thinking of balance in life. Most of us gravitate towards extremes, in one thing or another [food, relationships, perfection, etc.]. Interestingly, the ‘pivot point’ is our own weight ie centre of mass. 

If I am lightweight in my values, I know I will sway excessively. In addition to a centrality of values, I do need to maintain balance when I find myself swaying too much. Friends, who hold me accountable, form my balancing pole – they distribute the mass away from ‘me’. In other words, they take me away from being absorbed about myself.

As I travel from point to point in life, I need to continuously and consciously balance the extremes that pull me into a skew.

To master the high wire walk of life, I must practise, practise and practise, and allow for mistakes. I must want to cross over [to heaven] and be tenacious, uncompromising about the trip. I must be passionate about the journey. I must not underestimate the difficulty and danger of the journey. I must accept what each step may encounter and not be distracted by life’s subplots [do not major on the minor]. I must have faith that it can be done. But not faith in my abilities, not about my skills or about my hours of practice.

It is about the certainty of my destination ie what awaits me at the other end. Who is going to be receiving me and congratulating me? The ultimate motivation!!!

Solomon, the wisest man ever lived on earth, advised that it is the healthy reverential fear [deep respect] of God that prevents extremes.