The right mix

I am someone who has had the good fortune of never really having to deal with tragedy directly. And, I have done my best to avoid any sort of real drama in my day-to-day life to the extent that it is possible (note content of prior blog entries). I tend to approach life as if I were a machine with the goal of reaching fine tuned efficiency in my motions and momentum forward. With fluidity and efficiency being my goal, I tend to try to fit in as much as possible, of what I want to fit in, and distractions from that direction are seen as taking away from the direction I want to be going. I don’t like the way that sounds, and I don’t like the kind of person who would think and live that way, but I do like myself and I know that to an extent, my brain does work that way. It is the way I am. For whatever reasons.

But I have, finally, learned along the way that sometimes the distractions are the best part of life and more often than not, they are the experiences that truly bring enrichment. Because they knock you out of your world and give you a new perspective on it. I have finally realized that I have not failed or let myself down if I do not end up accomplishing all that I set out to do or if my path changes direction now and again. And I see that there can be as much value in not doing as much as there is in doing.

I think that finding the right balance between doing what comes naturally to you, in the life and routine you have created for yourself, and exploring new ways of living is one of the keys to getting it right; whatever right is. Not to be a cheese, who lives with machine-like efficiency, but I just got a forward from my aunt with quotes from the Dalai Lama and one of them struck me: open arms to change but don’t let go of your values.