Getting a sense of balance [w112 e3]

What do a tightrope juggler and a cyclist have in common? They both need balance to move forward. Similarly in life, and not only because of unforeseen events. Just as the force of gravity naturally pulls us towards the center of the earth, there are variants that affect our lives that we cannot avoid, health care, advancing age, assuming family and social responsibilities, etc. How do we find balance?

I believe that there is a lot of information on the web about this topic, both by professionals and by people who think they know about this important subject. My intention with this text is not to give you advice, dear reader, but simply to communicate what I have been doing to achieve this common goal. Maybe we will find something interesting for both of us.

Learning to value the simple things. Not few people sometimes concentrate too much on the results of our activities and tasks and forget to enjoy the process. I am still learning this and it has helped me somewhat by taking, watching and appreciating videos and photographs.

For example, the image you can see on the cover is my mother. She recently traveled to an island for the death of one of her brothers, that is, my uncle. When she was packing I told her to take some clothes with her to go to the beach. Although I didn't think she would, thanks to my cousin, the same day she arrived they went to the beach at sunset. The fishermen were coming ashore hauling out everything they had caught. The birds also come to take advantage of the situation and eat something easily, but at the same time they bring a very beautiful atmosphere. There is a lot of energy at that moment. People, the strength of the sea, the abundant birds, the feeling of the sand on your feet, the colors of the sky, the characteristic sounds, that you can be with your eyes closed and you will know that you are on the beach. That moment is a treasure! And it touches me to see my mother there, throwing sardines into the sky in the hope that the birds will catch them in the air. Although I wasn't there, it's a longer video, of a simple moment, that gives me a lot of peace, even though I wasn't there.

If money does not bring happiness, it would be easy to lose balance if I spent more time and effort than necessary in seeking to obtain it in abundance. So, I try to keep money in its place. Managing budgets, having it as an open subject in the family and trying to be transparent with its management in the marriage helps a lot so that it is not given more importance than it has.

Willingness to adapt. Sometimes we can't have everything we want. We might even think that we can't live (literally) if we don't have something, because we consider it indispensable. But this is often just a misconception. In recent years we have visited some places and met people who have few material things, and lack some public services. However, they adapted, and they cover their needs in some way, and they are happy. It is true, sometimes they are more hard-working, but it also has its honeys.

For example, this is a famous stove, used by a family to cook. I marveled at the way it is designed, under a roof, in a neat and tidy place at the side of the house, and with all that space available for the firewood which by the way is exceptionally neatly arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way. I have seen kitchens in pompous houses that would like to have this level of neatness.

**Taking care of our mental health ** We cannot underestimate all that can be done to take care of ourselves in this area, because it is directly related to our balance in life. Our mental health can help us to better handle unbalancing situations, project our future, put the past in its place, and enjoy our present. It is the foundation of our thoughts, criteria, truths and assumptions.

Finally, what if the tightrope walker or cyclist were to carry unnecessary weight while riding? It is more difficult to maintain balance. Similarly, to maintain balance in life it is good to avoid conflicts and resolve problems promptly. Avoiding these negative situations from building up makes us freer to move forward, and there are fewer elements pulling us one way or the other. Some people don't face these situations because of an overriding tendency. But I think it's a good point that helps us all.

Yes, I'm trying to use other things, but I think I've said enough. Living with balance may have more than one admissible way and it works. So we can keep talking about it and nuance it. The important thing is that we keep trying and find what works best for each of us. Sticking our feet in a stream in the middle of a long walk might also help. See you next time!

😎

_{Cover: Made with the free version of CANVAS
Images: Of my property, edited in GIMP and captured with my Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 phone.
Banner: Made by me in GIMP with my own images and free resources from the site pfpmaker.com/
Language: Post written in Spanish and then translated into English through DeepL}

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