Forums > Social Discussion > Balance?
Login/Join to Participatestarring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
Posted:
So something happened recently that made me realize I'm off balance, spiritually so to speak, and it's affected me now in my personal life.
I guess I realized that I've been so caught up in a new job, which is programming for an extremely large company, very driven people, intense work atmosphere, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And perhaps caught up in new hobbies, such as a reintroduction to an old love of mine, classical fencing. The point I make about both of these is that they both place you into a very logical, cut and dry, black & white kind of mindset. Exactly where your mind should be for these activities, but both of these situations are so intense that it's hard to shake that off when it comes to your personal life.
As for my spiritual mindset, it is completely different. I would say I practice buddhism more as a philosophy than a religion, but I usually work hard to keep myself grounded and in the right mindset(keeping inner peace).
I guess I didn't know how much I had slipped until a situation arose last night that I handled completely the wrong way, even in a way thats uncharacteristic for me. So I'm curious to hear if anyone else runs into these kind of situations, and what you do?
So something happened recently that made me realize I'm off balance, spiritually so to speak, and it's affected me now in my personal life.
I guess I realized that I've been so caught up in a new job, which is programming for an extremely large company, very driven people, intense work atmosphere, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And perhaps caught up in new hobbies, such as a reintroduction to an old love of mine, classical fencing. The point I make about both of these is that they both place you into a very logical, cut and dry, black & white kind of mindset. Exactly where your mind should be for these activities, but both of these situations are so intense that it's hard to shake that off when it comes to your personal life.
As for my spiritual mindset, it is completely different. I would say I practice buddhism more as a philosophy than a religion, but I usually work hard to keep myself grounded and in the right mindset(keeping inner peace).
I guess I didn't know how much I had slipped until a situation arose last night that I handled completely the wrong way, even in a way thats uncharacteristic for me. So I'm curious to hear if anyone else runs into these kind of situations, and what you do?
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Posted:
Maybe you just had a bad day.
It happens, and you shouldn't punish yourself for it.
While your actions may have been uncharacteristic, perhaps the catalyst may have struck at a nerve and you let your guard down.
That's ok, everyone makes mistakes and noone can be fully balanced all the time (ok, with the exception of the Dalai Lama, who would probably say he has bad days too)... just learn from it and you'll be back on course again
Maybe you just had a bad day.
It happens, and you shouldn't punish yourself for it.
While your actions may have been uncharacteristic, perhaps the catalyst may have struck at a nerve and you let your guard down.
That's ok, everyone makes mistakes and noone can be fully balanced all the time (ok, with the exception of the Dalai Lama, who would probably say he has bad days too)... just learn from it and you'll be back on course again
Getting to the other side 
God's illgitament son
1,489 posts
Location: state of confusion
1,489 posts
Location: state of confusion
Posted:
I fully understand were you are comeing from musashii. I'm a Taoist and my carrer is bill collecting, so you can guess how conflicting that gets.....any way, what I have found works for me, when I get home I shut the world out (litteraly I dont answer my phone, lock the door, no T.V.) and I center myself........and that does not work I just go out side and burn.........but then thats just me, and like poise said, no one can be fully balanced all the time.
I fully understand were you are comeing from musashii. I'm a Taoist and my carrer is bill collecting, so you can guess how conflicting that gets.....any way, what I have found works for me, when I get home I shut the world out (litteraly I dont answer my phone, lock the door, no T.V.) and I center myself........and that does not work I just go out side and burn.........but then thats just me, and like poise said, no one can be fully balanced all the time.
You can't avoid pain by fencing yourself from it.
Some times you need the help of others more than anything else
But you have to let them close enough to help......
People want to be needed, I found that out too
GOLD Member
Poi-tato
183 posts
Location: Iceberg 319, Canada
Poi-tato
183 posts
Location: Iceberg 319, Canada
Posted:
a student once asked a master what the meaning of buddhism is the master threw the student into a mud puddle... the student looked up and smiled... later that student became a master
satori at its finest
yeah balance is a tricky thing i think my scale is broken my social ability has been dropping at a steady pace for quite sometime now...should probly try and keep that incheck before I become the next gollum
a student once asked a master what the meaning of buddhism is the master threw the student into a mud puddle... the student looked up and smiled... later that student became a master
satori at its finest
yeah balance is a tricky thing i think my scale is broken my social ability has been dropping at a steady pace for quite sometime now...should probly try and keep that incheck before I become the next gollum
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potato's.
SILVER Member
old hand
899 posts
Location: New York City, USA
old hand
899 posts
Location: New York City, USA
Posted:
Things in your life will return to balance in time. It is difficult not to be impatient for this to happen, but the spirit moves at its own pace.
Don't worry too much.
Raph
Things in your life will return to balance in time. It is difficult not to be impatient for this to happen, but the spirit moves at its own pace.
Don't worry too much.
Raph
SILVER Member
.:*distracted by shiny things*:.
3,777 posts
Location: brizvegas, Australia
.:*distracted by shiny things*:.
3,777 posts
Location: brizvegas, Australia
Posted:
i recently found myself in a situation i never thought i would be in. i did something that i now realise was pretty bad...and i may lose a good friend over it. i couldn't believe i could do this to anyone! i think sometimes your subconcious makes you do something so that you can wake up to yourself & figure out who you are. or at least, that's the lesson i'm taking away with me!
i recently found myself in a situation i never thought i would be in. i did something that i now realise was pretty bad...and i may lose a good friend over it. i couldn't believe i could do this to anyone! i think sometimes your subconcious makes you do something so that you can wake up to yourself & figure out who you are. or at least, that's the lesson i'm taking away with me!
do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good to eat!
if at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished!
smile! :grin: it confuses people!
BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,207 posts
Location: "In your ear", United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,207 posts
Location: "In your ear", United Kingdom
Posted:
IMO (so please dont any offence)
your spirtual balance, is a strange balance to keep!
for me, its not normally affected by the big stuff, like new jobs, old sports rekindled, or life changes
its more down to the little things, the really unimportant stuff that mounts up fast -
for example, i have had two weeks from hell getting my school ICT back to top note, had my lady love move in with me, found out my sister is deffo going to iraq with the army, and several other things that jump to mind
but what annoys me more over is not being able to btb weave, having good spinners round me when i have just had a kind of months break in oz, and EVERY one has gone lightyears ahead!
for me its the stupid lil stuff that builds, so may be you should look less at what you think and more what you know man, you are an honetsly nice guy, you help and advice other when they ask, you offer opinons and support without hesitation, and you have helped me a few times,
stop being off balance you are a good person, so so you should relise that we are all off balance at times, this is just a wiggle though, if you were totaly off balance, you wount know why, and you wouldnt be wnating to talk about it
laterdays man!
IMO (so please dont any offence)
your spirtual balance, is a strange balance to keep!
for me, its not normally affected by the big stuff, like new jobs, old sports rekindled, or life changes
its more down to the little things, the really unimportant stuff that mounts up fast -
for example, i have had two weeks from hell getting my school ICT back to top note, had my lady love move in with me, found out my sister is deffo going to iraq with the army, and several other things that jump to mind
but what annoys me more over is not being able to btb weave, having good spinners round me when i have just had a kind of months break in oz, and EVERY one has gone lightyears ahead!
for me its the stupid lil stuff that builds, so may be you should look less at what you think and more what you know man, you are an honetsly nice guy, you help and advice other when they ask, you offer opinons and support without hesitation, and you have helped me a few times,
stop being off balance you are a good person, so so you should relise that we are all off balance at times, this is just a wiggle though, if you were totaly off balance, you wount know why, and you wouldnt be wnating to talk about it
laterdays man!
Step (el-nombrie)
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
I see where everyone's coming from on this thread, but in my opinion (and this is just what works for me) however good your job is, however much you enjoy your hobby, you need to be able to look at yourself and think "I'm ok, I'm centred, I know that I'm just one of six billion creatures on the earth, and when I die I will return to the earth and be born again in trees and in people. And besides, the universe is infinitely larger than the earth so not even that matters". That's how I keep myself balanced.
However good a job or a hobby is, you could give it up tomorrow and take another, regardless of responsibilities. But your spiritual life is far less fluid, and if you feel spiritually unbalanced I think that should take priority until you feel OK.
And like someone else said, everyone has bad days. You're only human.
I see where everyone's coming from on this thread, but in my opinion (and this is just what works for me) however good your job is, however much you enjoy your hobby, you need to be able to look at yourself and think "I'm ok, I'm centred, I know that I'm just one of six billion creatures on the earth, and when I die I will return to the earth and be born again in trees and in people. And besides, the universe is infinitely larger than the earth so not even that matters". That's how I keep myself balanced.
However good a job or a hobby is, you could give it up tomorrow and take another, regardless of responsibilities. But your spiritual life is far less fluid, and if you feel spiritually unbalanced I think that should take priority until you feel OK.
And like someone else said, everyone has bad days. You're only human.
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
BRONZE Member
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Posted:
Oddly enough while I balance myself in a radically different way, it has the same feel as what you mentioned.
As a big proponant of chaos theory I realise that every action of every molecule in my body has been shaping the entire universe from the moment I was created. Likewise every single thing that has ever happened in every single second of the entire history universe has culminated in this particular second right here... and this one... and this one.
It reminds me that I am a vital organic part of the universe and it is an organic vital part of me. I understand and enjoy my place in the unimaginable infinity of creation, (yes, even as extrapolated from a piece of fairy cake). I live a life of infinite power yet am simultaneously the infinite pawn of the universe. It also reminds me that the seat I chose to take on the subway this morning may have more cumulative effect on the universe then any badly bungled social situation I have ever gotten myself into.
Every action has equal potential.
In addition: ultimately the past just is, theres no way to change it and no manner of gut wrenching unhappiness will alter what's done. The best way to react to adversity is to acknowledge it and then try to move in the best path from there. Getting mired in the wrongness of one's actions and attached to bad a moment in time does not make future action any better.
Written by:nearly_all_gone
you need to be able to look at yourself and think "I'm ok, I'm centred, I know that I'm just one of six billion creatures on the earth, and when I die I will return to the earth and be born again in trees and in people. And besides, the universe is infinitely larger than the earth so not even that matters". That's how I keep myself balanced.
Oddly enough while I balance myself in a radically different way, it has the same feel as what you mentioned.
As a big proponant of chaos theory I realise that every action of every molecule in my body has been shaping the entire universe from the moment I was created. Likewise every single thing that has ever happened in every single second of the entire history universe has culminated in this particular second right here... and this one... and this one.
It reminds me that I am a vital organic part of the universe and it is an organic vital part of me. I understand and enjoy my place in the unimaginable infinity of creation, (yes, even as extrapolated from a piece of fairy cake). I live a life of infinite power yet am simultaneously the infinite pawn of the universe. It also reminds me that the seat I chose to take on the subway this morning may have more cumulative effect on the universe then any badly bungled social situation I have ever gotten myself into.
Every action has equal potential.
In addition: ultimately the past just is, theres no way to change it and no manner of gut wrenching unhappiness will alter what's done. The best way to react to adversity is to acknowledge it and then try to move in the best path from there. Getting mired in the wrongness of one's actions and attached to bad a moment in time does not make future action any better.
"If the human brain were simple enough for us to understand, we would be too simple to understand it"
-Emerson M Pugh
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
For a real head [censored] think about the world without time. Things just are, always have been and always will be. It's just the nature of the human mind to see them in terms of cause and effect. Cause and effect are suppressive and not neccessarily inevitable. If they were, what was the first cause? And what caused it? And that? And so on. People say the first cause is God. But that's not what God's supposed to mean, a little push in the right direction.
People live, people die, other people continue to live and continue to die. Plants grow, clouds move across the sky and the planet keeps spinning. This moment will always exist, even if my mind can't experience it for more than a fleeting second.
Chaos is really cool but it relies too much on cause and effect for my liking. Timelessness is where it's at.
This is jumbled but I'm in a rush. I love doing a philosophy degree!
For a real head [censored] think about the world without time. Things just are, always have been and always will be. It's just the nature of the human mind to see them in terms of cause and effect. Cause and effect are suppressive and not neccessarily inevitable. If they were, what was the first cause? And what caused it? And that? And so on. People say the first cause is God. But that's not what God's supposed to mean, a little push in the right direction.
People live, people die, other people continue to live and continue to die. Plants grow, clouds move across the sky and the planet keeps spinning. This moment will always exist, even if my mind can't experience it for more than a fleeting second.
Chaos is really cool but it relies too much on cause and effect for my liking. Timelessness is where it's at.
This is jumbled but I'm in a rush. I love doing a philosophy degree!
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Thay is perfect, by the way. One hand weaves upwards through the grass, the other down to the centre of the earth.
Written by: SterlingSpider
Every action has equal potential.
Thay is perfect, by the way. One hand weaves upwards through the grass, the other down to the centre of the earth.
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
Pooh-Bah
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
2,419 posts
Location: la-la land
Posted:
Ahhh master musashii - they key is to remember to breathe my darling..
I'll be at home later if you want to chat..
Ahhh master musashii - they key is to remember to breathe my darling..
I'll be at home later if you want to chat..
I honour you as an aspect of myself..
You are never to old to storm a bouncey castle..
BRONZE Member
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Posted:
Heh, for me the chaos thing is more a centering point then anything else. It snaps me out of rumination and reminds me to keep doing good things. But as for the theory; if you get mired in that there is then SO MUCH cause and effect that you have to move beyond cause and effect and just be you, or you'd really never be able to function.
*nodsnodsnodsnodsnodsnods*
It never ceases being now.
's funny. I have a philosophy minor and my friend Lisa has her BA in philosophy. We were just talking the other day about how much we miss thinking about things that make our brains hurt and how we have to get into reading more philosophy again.
Written by:
Chaos is really cool but it relies too much on cause and effect for my liking. Timelessness is where it's at.
Heh, for me the chaos thing is more a centering point then anything else. It snaps me out of rumination and reminds me to keep doing good things. But as for the theory; if you get mired in that there is then SO MUCH cause and effect that you have to move beyond cause and effect and just be you, or you'd really never be able to function.
Written by:
This moment will always exist, even if my mind can't experience it for more than a fleeting second.
*nodsnodsnodsnodsnodsnods*
It never ceases being now.
's funny. I have a philosophy minor and my friend Lisa has her BA in philosophy. We were just talking the other day about how much we miss thinking about things that make our brains hurt and how we have to get into reading more philosophy again.
"If the human brain were simple enough for us to understand, we would be too simple to understand it"
-Emerson M Pugh
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Hey, wanna do my Kant course for me for next term?! Please?!!!!
Hey, wanna do my Kant course for me for next term?! Please?!!!!
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
starring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
Posted:
thanks for all the advice and support everyone. It did happen to be my first day of quitting smoking, but I don't want to place the blame on something like that. Looking back on the situation, it might have been two people's defense mechanisms counteracting each other, it was just something I _didn't_ want to screw up, which I probrably did. Only time will tell however
good point too mech, if it was that serious, I wouldn't be wanting to talk about it eh..
thanks for all the advice and support everyone. It did happen to be my first day of quitting smoking, but I don't want to place the blame on something like that. Looking back on the situation, it might have been two people's defense mechanisms counteracting each other, it was just something I _didn't_ want to screw up, which I probrably did. Only time will tell however
good point too mech, if it was that serious, I wouldn't be wanting to talk about it eh..
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
BRONZE Member
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Posted:
Hey, wow, good luck on that. I smoked heavily for about 7 yrs and now I'm 3 yrs smoke free.
I was a raging hell bitch for months afterwards, and I found the issue was not that I wasn't smoking, but that I couldnt figure out a way to calm myself down when I got worked up. Most people that I know who have tried to quit say the same thing (that's a big reason why so many people go back in stressful times).
Finding somthing really centering that you can do to decompress (yoga, meditation, deep breathing, spinning, whatever works) will probably do wonders for you.
Written by: musashii
It did happen to be my first day of quitting smoking, but I don't want to place the blame on something like that.
Hey, wow, good luck on that.
I smoked heavily for about 7 yrs and now I'm 3 yrs smoke free. I was a raging hell bitch for months afterwards, and I found the issue was not that I wasn't smoking, but that I couldnt figure out a way to calm myself down when I got worked up. Most people that I know who have tried to quit say the same thing (that's a big reason why so many people go back in stressful times).
Finding somthing really centering that you can do to decompress (yoga, meditation, deep breathing, spinning, whatever works) will probably do wonders for you.
"If the human brain were simple enough for us to understand, we would be too simple to understand it"
-Emerson M Pugh
starring Skippy the green llama
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
Posted:
Thanks! It's been about 3 days, still doing ok, I'm able to stay human with the patch. You're right tho, I think thats the biggest problem with smoking, you're used to turning to it for comfort(funny now isn't it).
Thanks! It's been about 3 days, still doing ok, I'm able to stay human with the patch. You're right tho, I think thats the biggest problem with smoking, you're used to turning to it for comfort(funny now isn't it).
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
SILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales
Posted:
I reckon balance is over rated.
I also reckon that the world would be a safer place if everyone kept falling over as no one would be able to shoot straight....which is what the Americans do anyway.
*Hopes Raymond isnt lurking around*
I reckon balance is over rated.
I also reckon that the world would be a safer place if everyone kept falling over as no one would be able to shoot straight....which is what the Americans do anyway.
*Hopes Raymond isnt lurking around*
BRONZE Member
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Senator by day, Sith Lord by night.
128 posts
Location: Suffolk, New York, USA
Posted:
One thing about the patch they dont tell you... when you go cold turkey the chemical nicotene addiction only lasts about 2 weeks, pretty much the rest of it is from the habit, not the chemical, in some ways nicotene substitutes can make things worse because they extend the chemical addiction and do little for the habit addiction besides give you a feeling that you are doing somthing to help.
Much of the chemical oogyness from quitting smoking is because cigarettes contain several chemicals which act as very low grade antidepressants and anxiolitics, hence most of the chemical reason we turn to them when we are stressed and the incedence of chain smoking in people with depression.
If you're going to put a chemical in your body to assist you with quitting, you might want to consider a low grade antidepressant instead (this is what Zyban is incedentally, a very very low dose of wellbutrin if I remember correctly). Even somthing as mild as st johns wort can help.
Unfortunately I didnt know this when I quit, but I know several people who have been helped by the knowledge.
Incedentally the thing in your avatar both intrigues and disturbs me, and I cant place why it is so familiar.
One thing about the patch they dont tell you... when you go cold turkey the chemical nicotene addiction only lasts about 2 weeks, pretty much the rest of it is from the habit, not the chemical, in some ways nicotene substitutes can make things worse because they extend the chemical addiction and do little for the habit addiction besides give you a feeling that you are doing somthing to help.
Much of the chemical oogyness from quitting smoking is because cigarettes contain several chemicals which act as very low grade antidepressants and anxiolitics, hence most of the chemical reason we turn to them when we are stressed and the incedence of chain smoking in people with depression.
If you're going to put a chemical in your body to assist you with quitting, you might want to consider a low grade antidepressant instead (this is what Zyban is incedentally, a very very low dose of wellbutrin if I remember correctly). Even somthing as mild as st johns wort can help.
Unfortunately I didnt know this when I quit, but I know several people who have been helped by the knowledge.
Incedentally the thing in your avatar both intrigues and disturbs me, and I cant place why it is so familiar.
"If the human brain were simple enough for us to understand, we would be too simple to understand it"
-Emerson M Pugh
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Best of luck, let us know how you're getting on with it! I hope you'll inspire me to quit. Friends always say that as long as you remember that you WANT to quit, that you're doing it for you, then you'll cope with it a little easier... but much respect!
Best of luck, let us know how you're getting on with it! I hope you'll inspire me to quit. Friends always say that as long as you remember that you WANT to quit, that you're doing it for you, then you'll cope with it a little easier... but much respect!
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
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