Moderation
Posted on February 28, 2012
“All things in moderation”, said the ancient Greeks. “The middle way”, said the Buddha. “Let your moderation be known to all men”, it is written in the Bible. Why did the wise ones of the past value restraint so much? Does it seem like their wisdom lacks passion? Where is the intensity of experience, the feverish desire for change, the “Go for it!” or “Just do it!” mentality that our modern society values so much?
When I was younger I could party and drink with the best (or worst) of them. I often stayed up all night. I worked for a while as a cab driver in New York City, on the 4:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m. shift. I saw lots of sunrises. Now I am older, calmer, less given to outbursts either of temper or of excessive joy and celebration. And I am happier for it.
How do you live your life? Do you find yourself swinging from one emotional extreme to the other? You don’t have to be clinically manic-depressive to feel sometimes like the roller-coaster of life is about to throw you off the tracks. What are some ways to move toward a more balanced, less wild pendulum-swinging rhythm of living?
Meditation is one way to stay centered. Another way is to make sure that you to keep a good work-life balance. Another good habit is to consume foods and alcohol in moderation. Moderation leads to more moderation. Excess leads to more excess. In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, the English poet and artist William Blake wrote that “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” This quote is often misconstrued as promoting overindulgence. Blake explained that the union of opposites, what the Eastern mystics call yin and yang, is what creates the world, and that from these opposites come the concepts of good and evil. “Good is the passive that obeys Reason. Evil is the active springing from Energy. Good is Heaven. Evil is Hell.”
Okay, maybe that’s too heavy for a blog entry, but you get the idea. Enjoy your moderation!