Finding
Balance – October 9, 2004
I have been
chatting with a friend about making lifestyle changes. She was feeling
guilty because on a recent road trip, she had stopped at a fast food
outlet’s drive-through window. She approves of neither the politics
nor the food at this restaurant, but was hungry and it was the only
place accessible and open. Nevertheless, a week later, she was still
beating herself up over the incident and seemed on the verge of a
self-imposed frenzy of deprivation in order to compensate for her
perceived backsliding. I told her that living lightly on the earth is a
journey, not a destination...a process not a product. There is no right
way, just a commitment to keep moving in the right direction (and not
worrying about the odd little sidestep).
I’ve been on this path for over 30 years, but still
the contents of my closet would outfit two or three families, the number
of books on my shelves would furnish a small town library, and I love my
morning latte. The way I see it, healthy, sustainable living is all
about finding a graceful balance. For instance, I’ll gratefully eat
turkey with friends this Thanksgiving weekend, because the joy of
sharing and caring is more important to me than sticking rigidly to a
vegetarian diet. Finding balance along a challenging path means living
mindfully, – knowing who we are, where we came from, where we are
going and why. That awareness helps keep us focused on the larger goal
of reducing our negative impact on the planet while living a healthy
lifestyle...and enjoying our lives along the way.
Posted: 2004/10/09
11:38 PM
