I was once asked, in an Oral Defense, if I thought balance was a true principal. I spontaneously blurted out, “No!” Then I realized I would have to defend my odd position, because most people think it is. Could I?
Where there is no vision, the people perish… Proverbs 29:18
I envisioned, in my mind’s eye, a balance or a scale where one tries to make things equal. That applied to life would be nuts. I decided that if I were to live my life by the straight jacket of balance, I would be living by the flesh of my own arm and would preclude epiphanies and flexibility. All things are not of equal value. All relationships are not equal. Even all good things are not of equal value. We have to make choose.
I can see my dear Stake President placing sand in a bottle to represent all the little things we need to do each day and then he tried to add balls of many sizes to represent all the good things we try to juggle. It did not all fit. So he poured it all out and added the big things and then poured in the sand and it did not all fit. Then he said that it was not all supposed to fit. We have to choose. That is huge. Oh, wait, this is a principle, we are free to choose!
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. II Nephi 2:27
This life is so grand, there are many good things to choose. We are as children in a candy shop, really. Every choice is a trade off. Will we choose to trade off long term happiness, for short term easy, or pleasure. Life is so short and eternity so long. “Oh be wise, what can I say more?”
Last weekend I got out the talk Mothers Who Know. I had shared with my future son-in-law, Rory, how as a young mother President Benson had spoken to husbands and wives in a talk, to the Mothers in Zion, and how it changed my perspective and the course of my life. He then mentioned Julie Beck’s talk and he said he needs to read both. That led me to reread Benson’s talk and listen to Julie Beck’s talk. I listened to that talk, over and over again.
Julie Beck reminded me that :
“Mothers Who Know Do Less
Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power. “
I think this principle of less is more, is one found in current decorating trends and even fashion, but not in our lives.
So, if balance is not a correct principle, what do I feel is? Harmony and Rhythm. Harmon is an agreement or pleasing arrangement. Rhythm, according to American Heritage Dictionary, is “Movement or variation characterized by the regular recurrence or alternation of different quantities or conditions: the rhythm of the tides.” I feel true harmony begins when we counsel with the Lord in all our doings and hearken to the guidance we sought. Sustainable rhythm can happen when we submit our default routines to God.
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. Alma 37:37
Like Martha I feel that I am too often “careful and troubled about many things.” Sometimes I just shut down and check out, as a result. That is when being busy is Being Under Satan’s Yoke. Life then slips into crisis mode and can be held hostage to the urgent but unimportant. Mary on the other hand chose that which was needful.
In those moments of powerlessness and overwhelm perhaps it is a do-it-yourself kit. Arising early helps me examine my life with clarity not found once the day adds its distractions. If I get my vision for the day I am more likely to be resolute, when urgent but unimportant things arise. I am also more likely to not slip into the oblivion of non-urgent, unimportant things that waste my time and suck my energy for little or no return.
How will I promote harmony and rhythm?
Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated. Doctrine and Covenants 88:124
I feel that the number one thing that derails rhythms is poor sleep habits. When I retire late, I tend to either:
* arise late and have less time and no vision and therefore am very ineffective.
* Arise on time but am not at full steam and still work less efficiently.
Where vision is lacking, overwhelm is not far behind. Creativity blocks arise. Epiphanies are drowned in the crisis’ that beset, many which are unimportant.
So, I have retired too late too often, as of late. It has sent my life into the cycle of crisis. The blessed Zone of Harmony and Rhythm takes about a week to straighten sleep cycles before full productivity can even be contemplated. Naps would not hurt either, while my wrists are healing.