A week and a half ago, I sat in an auditorium hearing The Dalai Lama speak about balance. He said that we, Americans, tend to get overly excited and overly depressed about the littlest things. I, immediately related to what he was saying. I am one who indulges in the extremes of emotions. I love intensity. So, after hearing him say that, I decided to watch my reactions closely and pay even closer attention to my tendency of letting myself go with the flow of the emotions, letting them control me, instead of me controlling them.
Although it has only been 10 days, I must say that I feel a difference. Instead of trying to hold on to excitement or try to run away from the negative feelings, I have allowed them to just be. Let them come, stay awhile, and then go on their way. I'm beginning to learn to not define me by my emotions, instead recognize that they are part of what makes me whole. The key, I found, is to have balance - in everything, even in my feelings. Too much of something becomes poisonous and detrimental, even when it's something good.
I realize that getting too excited or too sad takes a lot of energy, and I rather channel that energy somewhere else or on something else more productive. Simply being content brings me peace. I am content and whole.
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