METAPHYSICAL MUSINGS

Do Your Work, Then Step Back

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

Tao Te Ching

We are all constantly seeking to balance the many priorities we choose or that are chosen for us by circumstance. No one gets away with not having to find this balance and it is a life's work ... and a work of art. The scales of Justice represent the sign of Libra we are in right now, so what better time of year to discuss balance. She carries the scales to weigh everything and the sword to analyze, decide, inaugurate or cut. Every day we must do the same with our myriad of desires, responsibilities and needs for self expression. Rest often gets lost in the picture.

I love the verses from the Tao Te Ching because they show dualities with complete impartiality. There is no judgment in emptiness or fullness, ugliness or beauty, activity or rest. And yet we often judge ourselves about rest. We think it' s being lazy. We may see it as a waste of time to stop cleaning and lay down with the cat, or taking time to listen to music without multi-tasking and really hear the notes. But the cat needs our attention and we can feel so rejuvenated and bonded for a few moments... and that piece of music can bring out emotions and evoke memories long forgotten so we can heal, or savor past joys. We will start to hear our hearts speak through intuition.

Most of us are predominately geared towards being active or passive. Some of us have no problem at all "chilling out" as it were, and find it harder to initiate and keep motivated. a lot of us are work-a-holics and find it hard to do "nothing" feeling guilty for a moment of lost productivity. This month challenge yourself to live in the opposite frequency to your normal tendency. This will re balance the axis on those scales, change your paradigm and likely offer your insights into yourself.

This is an article I wrote for BelArome Holisitic Health Center's Newsletter.
I will be teaching workshops there this fall :)
For my complete list of Fall 2011 Workshops and series please visit my website at River-Rain.com

Sincerely
Catharine