Bringing Harmony Back to Life
“Happiness is not a mater of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” Thomas Merton
When my children were small, I put them to bed at , no exceptions. We would read for twenty or thirty minutes and then, lights out. Both of them needed long hours of sleep and I needed a couple of hours of quiet before bed. Staying in balance requires that we have rhythm and regularity to our lives.
In thinking about simplifying life, this is the first and best way to begin—by brining a predictable rhythm to our days. I know it sounds boring, and I’m not suggesting that we never have a late night, or respond spontaneously to an urge. But for most of us, most of the time, a predictable rhythm is necessary to staying healthy. The need for balance is not just a human need; it’s built into the natural world. Day to night, season to season, month to month, regularity is the order of the day. Excess over time causes problems. Think of the consequences of this warmer-than-normal winter—in the south it will mean that fruit trees bloom too early and risk a snap freeze, bugs will be rampant in our summer gardens; in the north, lack of snow melt may result in water shortages and summer drought.
Part of bringing order to our lives is learning to say ‘no’. No, I will not plan late night outings during the work week; no, I will not volunteer for that project that will eliminate my weekend; no, I will not watch one more hour of TV. No. It’s a hard word for busy, frazzled Americans. No wonder we’re so, well, busy and frazzled. Saying ‘no’ is a second step toward a happy and harmonious life.
Today would be a good day to look at the rhythm of your life. Is it out of kilter? Is it bringing you into balance and harmony? How would you like to tweak your days to allow for adequate rest and the perfect amount of stimulation? In the words of Maya Angelou, “everything has rhythm, everything dances.” Find you perfect rhythm today and start stepping to it. You’ll be glad you did.
In the flow,
Jane
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