Balance

Balance. Equanimity. The tight rope. An equal pull between two things. The dictionary defines balance to be a physical equilibrium.

My definition? Presence, consistency, living the thing we all seem to strive for: the concept of being ‘in the moment”. It is amazing to me that when you begin to think on a certain concept or idea, you start to see or hear about it everywhere. I have been contemplating this concept of balance for several weeks and have come to the conclusion that for me, balance is synonymous with enlightenment. They are the same thing.

And since living a balanced life style is incredibly challenging (like trying to balance on an oversized exercise ball in high heels), enlightenment doesn’t look like what I imagined initially.

I mean, here I am, picturing myself completely “enlightened.”

“OOMMMMM” Like a Buddha on a mountain.

Yoga gear, hairy armpits, unshaven legs, and totally “enlightened”.

Floating through life with no strife or struggle.

Yep! That’s me!

OR NOT!!!!

It’s interesting because in my limited time of seeking self-understanding, the more I introspect, the crazier I feel. But I think that I had nirvana mixed up with apathy. The beauty is in the constant pull between the two.

To understand the structure of our left brain; embracing our astounding capacity to create an abstract while at the same time recognizing the beauty of the chaos within our interconnected-ness and the recognition the we can never know and understand anything!

This video I threw in with this blog is such an awesome depiction of this exact concept.

The equal pull between the right and left sides of our brain.

The structured and chaotic, visceral and intellectual, joy and struggle, war and peace, life and death.

Life=balance.

Who’d a thought?

  • Kyle

    I like this blog. Your definition of balance really speaks to me. I however would equate balance to wisdom, but enlightenment is pretty much the same thing. For me, when you’re able to have all your aspects of your life in perfect harmony and in relation to what you center your life around the most; it brings real happiness.

    All a person needs to do is find out what to revolve your life around — just makes sure its something good.

    -Ky

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    I haven’t had a chance to view the video yet, but I have a comment about balance. Sometimes people think that something that is balanced is static … un-moving. But I think of someone moving quickly along a tight-rope. That person is most certainly balanced at least from side to side … and the forward momentum can help maintain that side to side balance. But I guess the person could be thought to be out of balance in one aspect and that intentional lack of balance causes the forward motion. In this respect, losing our balance on an issue drives us with respect to that issue. If we allow ourselves to care more about one issue instead of all issues, we are more likely to act more and have more passion about that issue. Is that out of balance? Do we need that kind of unequal force in our lives to propel us? There is the expression of “falling head over heals in love.” Is it possible to open ourselves up to love and give it a disproportionate importance in our lives so that we can move quickly towards loving relationships yet be rational and balanced in that process. Likewise, blocking ourselves from the negative feelings that try to influence us — will that propel us towards a positive, happier existence?

    I have the same issues with the word “passive.” It was pointed out to me years ago that “passive” is the opposite of “active.” The man was trying to argue that a “pacifist” does nothing because passive is the opposite of active. But I knew that was wrong because I lived with the consequences of having a Father who is an active pacifist. You can be calm without being inactive. And if passive does mean inactive, then it has a different root meaning than pacifist — which is peace-loving. Sorry to divert the discussion, but sometimes the inadequacy of words interferes with the thought. And sometimes words are inaccurate if taken literally, but promote thoughts greater than the words in themselves can accurately represent.

    Now I must resume trying to find balance … in my checkbook.

    [And as to hairy armpits ... shaving is fine but Nair do well.]

  • http://www.myspace.com/majorarcana08 Sam

    It is an interesting view. However, I don’t think the actual recognition of balance is so important in life.

    My view is that balance is a by product of the way we live our lives. I think that to attempt to balance would often just imbalance the scales more. We destroy in our search for perfection.

    My approach is that the way to personal peace and enlightenment is to accept the chaos of emotion and reality. Only once you have accepted the chaos, you can move forwards on the journey.

    To cease suffering both in ourselves and others, we must acknowledge the suffering but disagree with the terms.

    But that’s only my view.

    Thanks for all the philosophical and insightful blogs, they are helping greatly with the play I’m writing with the lead part written for you.

  • The Friday Philosopher

    I’ve never had to deal with anything that intense in my life. I guess now I know just how lucky I am. I like her definition of “The we within me!” I don’t think there is a person on this planet who hasn’t felt a little un-balanced in themselves, and if you haven’t yet, trust me, you will!
    I totally agree with what Jill said about together we can make the world a better place.

    I’m not overly religious; I would go so far as to say that I don’t follow any of the available faiths, yet as often happens when something bad happens, I blamed God. I wont try to make excuses for that, it was wrong, that’s all that matters.

    I remember at my lowest point I angrily asked what he had ever given us, meaning the human race. I never expected an answer, but I got one! It came in my own voice so it could have been the left side of my brain, but all it said was, “I gave you each other!” My mind went blank for a few minutes after that. I couldn’t even think of my name!

    I don’t go to church, I never have. I do have faith though, maybe not in religion but in the goodness in myself and others without doubt.

    I don’t know if something has to break in each of us before we can all actually see the world the way it should be or whether it only takes a few, either way I think something needs to be done. Soon! Maybe then everyone will know what it feels like to be balanced in themselves.

    Friday

  • Kris

    “the more I introspect, the crazier I feel.”

    So this is slightly off the topic of balanace, but this sentence caught my eye. I’ve felt the same way about introspection, and in my years (I’m only 30), I’ve learned that one of the most important things to remember is CONTEXT. Being introspective is great, but it works even better when you spend more time observing your environment than just picking apart your psyche. When you spend the time to pay attention to where you are and how you live, the bigger picture of who you are and why you do what you do falls perfectly into place.

    On the matter of balance, I lean towards the idea that balance is not static in the way that things don’t change. Balance is achieved when the rate of change in the various areas of our lives is consistent.

  • Amanda

    I must say that when I usually hear the term “enlightened” I have the same visual in my mind:

    “OOMMMMM” Like a Buddha on a mountain.

    Yoga gear, hairy armpits, unshaven legs, and totally “enlightened”.

    And (can I be really honest here?) my second thought is always “that’s all well and good but–I live in the real world and really who has the time?” I find that I also tend to have an initial negative internal response when someone tells me they’re all “zen”. Mainly because it’s usually followed by a comment that makes me want to ask them what they’ve been smoking. But, this makes sense to me and it’s something that I think we can all relate to.

    The mind..it’s such a complex little thing. It amazes me how thought patterns work and to see how others reason and respond. Case in point…this blog–we all are reading the exact same blog and yet our responses are so different. It’s wonderful to see what others come up with.

    …Balance–My struggle with balance is my time. I think our lives are a constant pull in one direction or another. We want to able to spend as much time as possible with those we love and certainly with our job. And yet, we need time by ourselves when we can reflect. As a Christian, my “meditation” is prayer. A time when I can be still and be refreshed. So where’s the balance when we only have a 24 hour day? How do we find the time to do it all? I think I’m going to journal a few of my days and see where all my time is spent and then re-evaluate.

    And Davd…once you’ve finished with your checkbook…would you come work on mine? :)

  • Beth

    I really, really like that idea. The idea of the two sides of the brain pulling equally together.

    At first maybe we have to be conscious of keeping that balance in our life between being present and being cautious, but maybe if we’re lucky that balance can become part of who we are.

    It’s a nice idea at least.

    Thanks for posting.

  • The Great Ymmij

    I really liked that video! Although I’ve taken numerous classes dealing with the brain and how it works, the video made it more interesting than ever before!

  • taylor nikole

    Wow…
    this is actually kinda hard for me to respond to…
    *ponders*
    I’m not even sure of what i could consider balance in my life.
    The only way i can actually explain feeling a ‘complete’ balance in my life
    is finding new found strengths in my life, pulling them forward, putting them out there and keeping them there.
    I don’t know how else to explain it.
    Strength to me is something I feel I need…
    just need more of it, so i can shield myself in some ways.

    But theres also my routine in my everyday life.
    when i nail the routine, i feel like there is some balance in my life.
    Actually when my father decided he wanted to waltz his way back into
    my life after 15 years… i felt completely off balance, and awkward…
    kinda like i had to be so observant and careful or else i would ‘fall of the tight rope i was balancing on’… and i don’t think things should be that hard if they are supposed to work out in the end. (in other words, it didn’t last long or maybe i set my standards of life and relation too high?)
    I think now, i only find balance in small portions… or other words when something doesn’t feel right, i usually subconciously balance out my life myself.

    Although i’ve found that my friends keep my life at an okay balance…
    they keep me sane afterall :)
    but for friends… for my balance i have to have a character foil of some sort
    Sure I love having a friend with the same interests, but exactly the same is too much for me.
    my balance sale feels too one sided
    and eventually that just
    falls.

    great blog, you really got me to thinking…
    although it sounds scattered
    wow… my balance sound completely different then everyone elses
    I love it!
    like amanda said “It’s wonderful to see what others come up with. ”
    Especially with such a topic, and such interesting individuals.

    <3 taylor nikole

  • Nikk

    “(like trying to balance on an oversized exercise ball in high heels)”

    Allison…did you try this at one point?

  • alphakitty

    like others, this took some time to ponder. for me, i don’t see balance and enlightenment as the same thing. to me enlightenment has more to do with finding a purpose and an internal “knowing” of yourself and your path.

    balance is more about resisting forces that may pull you away from that path and finding sources of strength to push you forward.

    this can be applied to even the most everyday tasks. if my desire is to find a way to not work 18 hrs and spend more time with my husband, then i am looking for a work – life balance. i need to find to sources of strength to help resist the urge to work till all hours of the night and just turn my darn computer off.

    the enlightenment is in knowing that work is not as important as the relationship. work is important, we all need to pay the bills, but certainly not at the expense of your family.

    so i guess, enlightenment is the idea, and balance is the action. maybe?
    or maybe it’s all just semantics…

  • alphakitty

    p.s. excellent video. excellent topic for discussion.

  • http://UnderConstruction Joey

    Good afternoon Miss Allison Mack,

    Once again, congratulations and thank you so much for the very fine topic.
    Life is like a great and deep forest where we all have to find the Way. On the one hand, there is a lot of trees and on the other one, there is spaces between them. When we are walking through the forest, we can crash against trees but we can walk between them as well. That’s very interesting because this is the pure beauty of enlightenment. Life is a beautiful twisted road where we all have to walk in the deep forest. If we are unbalanced, we can crash everytime but if we are well balanced, if we can find the very good equilibrium we can surf softly between trees gracefuly as a bird without crashing on big trees. The enlightenment is basically the secret of our souls equilibrium. We have to compose the finest melody with forces that work through of us. And we have to refresh our soul everytime as a way of being able to feel all attractive or repulsive forces and energies inside both our hearts and souls. Then we can feel the taste of a true liberty, we can feel free as a bird. That’s what it makes us able to walk the twisted road softly with happiness and going through all trees without crashing. The enlightenment is so wonderful because it is actually our immense capability to see the forest into its entire process. The forest is the wonderful life into its entire process with positive or negative facts as love, hate, good, bad, peace or warfare. That is all so exciting. Dear Miss Mack, that’s very good to see a little bit more of your profound thoughts. Of course, you are an interesting personn. You are very sensitive.

    See you next time.
    Have fun, happy trail and most of all take care of you.

    PS : My regard to Tabby.

    Your friend always,
    Joey L.

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    I’ve seen it now. Amazing video. Even the commercial at the end was great … even though I don’t think AutoDesk really can easily do all that was represented. But they are still out there after decades of rumors that they are going.

    I will get back on topic after a musical interlude:

    ======

    “Believe it or Not” by Mike Post & Stephen Geyer

    Look at what’s happened to me,
    I can’t believe it myself.
    Suddenly I’m up on top of the world,
    It should’ve been somebody else.

    Believe it or not, I’m walking on air.
    I never thought I could feel so free.
    Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
    Who could it be?
    Believe it or not it’s just me.

    It’s like a light of a new day,
    It came from out of the blue.
    Breaking me out of the spell I was in,
    Making all of my wishes come true.

    Believe it or not, I’m walking on air.
    I never thought I could feel so free.
    Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
    Who could it be? Believe it or not it’s just me.

    ======

    “The Greatest American Hero.” An ordinary man … chosen by aliens … given a suit that will give him amazing powers … so that he can protect one of the few remaining beautiful green planets in the universe — Earth. But there’s a snag. He lost the instruction manual and has to figure out how to use the suit on his own. He gets a second chance and gets a second book … and loses that one too. So he does his best to muddle through with what little he knows of the gift he has been given … knowing that the world can be saved if he can figure out how to use what he’s got.

    Here we are. Billions of us. How little we know of what we have. I just learned something recently that surprised me very much … and bowled me over the other day. All female humans are born with all the eggs they will ever have! Huh! Then the other day, I thought, “We are all as old as our Mother!” No quite the case, but if the greater part of what we are is determined by the egg that we come from (and I believe that to be true), then that part of us came into being as our Mothers developed in the womb. We’re all older than we thought! Of course when you add to our Mother’s age, HER Mother’s age when she was conceived, then she is back to be older than us again … until the next revelation comes along.

    Oops. Off track again. Decades ago I had this idea that our bodies are a lot more miraculous than we know. That’s saying a lot. Because I don’t know anyone that can design a machine that can change size from 6 pounds to 220 pounds – totally rebuild itself while never being turned off for up to periods of time exceeding a century. Beyond that, I imagined that there were ways to naturally repair ourselves that we didn’t know about. Maybe there is a way to pluck out an organ, blow the cholesterol off of it and re-insert the organ without losing a drop of blood in the process. Cancer? Insert right index finger in your navel and your left pinky in your right ear and spit. Who knows! It’s just that someone lost the instruction manual. And funny thing is, as my life has passed, the surgical procedures cause less and less trauma and are dramatically more effective. Hospital stays are rarer or dramatically shorter. Incisions made are smaller. Recovery times much shorter. It has taken time, but we’re writing that instruction manual ourselves. Why do we always do things the hard way? I bet that book is already available on Half.com!

  • Ellen

    Truely amazing experience! I am definitely not afaid to lose my left side anymore. It might be the only way to see Nirvana.

  • paul

    Thanks for the link to the neuro-anatomist’s video– fascinating! It is curious that so much of our consciousness (perhaps all of our consciousness, including our very sense of self) is the result of purely physical processes. That a sense of nirvana can be induced by a blood clot in the brain is powerful evidence that all of our perceptions, our sense of the world and our sense of self, reside in brain chemistry. It is a purely material explanation; we are in fact machines. Not “just” machines, but wonderful and stunningly complex machines.

  • Phil

    Hi,

    I could make a big long post about this, but I suspect it will just get too long and overly complicated, and end up confusing everyone.
    In Theravadan Buddhism, there is a concept called “The Middle Way”. Essentially, the Buddha (the famous one, there have been many) is said to have articulated the “Middle Way”, which is essentially abstaining from both extreme abstinence and extreme self-indulgence. Essentially, one who walks the middle way follows what is referred to as the “Noble Eightfold Path”, which is central to many buddhist practices, particularly monastic practice. That is: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
    And this is said to leave to the state of Nirvana.
    What is my point? That balance and harmony, both internally and in regard to the external world, are the path to enlightenment, and not the end itself.
    My explanation is probably not the greatest; I find it difficult to understand and I have been practicing and studying buddhism for several years now.
    This is the wikipedia page on the Middle Way:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_way
    has a bit more in the way of references to Sutra and specific teachings, if you wanted to read more.

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    … unfortunaetly, there is no warranty. I want a refund!

  • taylor nikole

    so call me crazy (ill never meet any of you most likely… but most of you seem like you have pretty open minds), but after this video (which i finally just got to finishing) I looked up conections between psychic dreams la la la la…premonitions and brain functions.
    My curiosity gets the best of me sometimes and i like to research more into topics than necessary… but i do get alot of knowledge out of the experience and I love that feeling. I think i chose to do so because this is a matter that is actually close and personal to me.
    I found interesting parts of replies in blogs such as:
    “in order to insist that all form of “psychic activity’ MUST be accompanied by “neural (Brain) activity”.”
    and
    “The brain is actually an anticipating machine”
    And after frustrating google searches… i still haven’t found one website that can help me really:( and i like answers
    when she was talking about the left hemisphere of the brain and how it anticipates …and the past… and future…
    and projecting possibilities…
    I’m still kinda ify… is that what my brain really does?
    or is there something more that can be explained to me?
    to better understand me
    ill get something out there
    something actually hard to think about or explain
    but very important to the topic, i believe (this is just one).
    The day before my grandma died (about a year ago).. i saw parts of the the whole day in my dream.. setting.. word for word and everything
    which scared me because i also saw her death.
    (i guess putting it into words it doesn’t sound as bad.. i don’t even know how to explain it sometimes)
    My mom didn’t see it, but she has ‘feelings’
    when i worked up the guts to tell her about my dream
    she had told me that her and my grandpa have the exact same thing happen to them.
    When my grandma left… the last time my mom saw her
    she thought automatically and out of no where ‘im never going to see her again’
    which in a way is really screwed up…
    does this mean… in some way its hereditary?
    or just extremely sensitive intuition?
    or does this happen to everyone in some form or another?
    because that wasn’t the first time all of this has happened.
    And it has not stopped.
    Some people say gifted… some people say crazy?
    and im just not sure…
    and I’m really interested in finding out.

    the video was very interesting for me…
    because it got me curious about brain activity, functions and how they work.
    although im still not sure about everything i just said in this reply :(
    ughh
    anyone have input or anything that can help me?
    I think im making myself sound crazy…
    bahh

    <3 taylor nikole

    and now i post this comment with an ify conscience… but what the hell.. ya know

  • Huckle Berry Hound

    NO, Life Sux, ……… Then you die!

  • Brittany

    Interesting topic, I think I’m still a little young to comprehend this information. I love how you find and acknowledge these topics! You have very strong opinions and you express them so well. I feel so left out. I tried so hard to compehend it but like they say: “There’s too many big words!” I’m still going to read your blogs! I’m supporting you 101%! Wow I sound extremely corny. But I truly look up to you, your so smart and gorgeous! I will support your opinions and work forever.

    I want to meet you someday, ya it sounds farfetched but hey a teen could dream right? Britt :)

  • Arash

    It was a 20 min and 11 sec well spent.
    Facinating subject.
    Allison you mentioned;
    “The equal pull between right and left side of our brain”
    and yet we are all amazed by the moment one side is shot off and the other side goes to the extreme.
    Do we always want the balance?
    Isn’t that tempting to be to the extreme on one side ?
    Do we want to test our limits ? If the price was not our life.

    If someone here really understands the functionality of two sides, please do me a favor. Imagin if you are a person with a hemorrhage on the right side of your brain and tell me what you think, how you feel and what you are not capable of anymore. I would like to know.

    The way I see it the left is a scientist and the right a philosopher.
    There are certain things in life you prove.
    There are ones you just believe.

    which one do you think is a better lover ? left or right?

  • http://www.chloesullivansite.com/ Bouroux

    Hi Allison.

    I watched the video carefully and it reminded me full of old memories from 30 years ago when I was studying physiology of man at university .
    At that time, I remember that I was fascinated by the compréhention of human in a physiological point of view. I remember that I had bought full of books that went far beyond my classes. After seeing the video, I emerged a book that I did not look for a long time.
    “Correlative neuroanatomy and functional neurology.”
    After years of study and time with his work I have done a little lost this curiosity for this sort of thing. I have probably reached the balance between my thirst for knowledge and what I learned.
    This is probably the imbalance that leads us to act. In cell biology at the university, I remember the first sentence of our teacher. “Life is the fight against disorder” .
    This sentence is so both physically and mentally.
    That sentence explains why the balance is by itself because all living organisms are equipped with mechanisms who preserve this balance.
    At the mental level, we have a control volunteer who often we put into imbalance. We know what we might make us lose this precious balance but for reasons of convenience, lack of judgement or maturity we dive in the imbalance.
    Allison, in a previous blog, we told you that you’d hate to stop to think about yourself. You seem to have this problem behind you but you must be careful not to go too far and thus create an imbalance. Too this question itself may lead to anxiety and paralyse us.
    The balance between positive and negative is very important. It is better than the negative being a little more important than the positive that we remain in reality.
    When our reality becomes too ugly, is immersed in the reality of others through television and films. The positive that it brought us to this balance.
    Allison, for your amazing achievement in Smallville, you’re a source of balance in the lives of more people than you think.
    Considers this as a real success thanks to this fabulous energy that you have in you.
    Thanks Allison. We love you.
    Have a good trip and good time for your weekend at Comic con
    Bye

    Claude

  • Arash

    … There are people in india spending years and years of meditating to reach a high level of balance, equanimity and enlightenment.
    Now allison say you are in a cave long enough to get as hairy as robin williams and finally you find that balance that you have been looking for all your life. Is that the goal, or you want to do something with it ?

  • Robin Hebert

    Hi Allison:
    I enjoy your posts sooooooo much. You are a very deep thinker for sure.
    It sounds like what this lady experienced is what Ram Das wrote back in the ’70s when he dropped acid…called BE HERE NOW.
    I think personally, that what the whole being in the moment is what we long after…..to fully embrace what LIFE is about. Well, I have my ideas…and I personally feel like I fall so short of it…but that’s my own shortcomings…..being too hard on myself. I appreciate your transparency and that you share your struggles and real feelings as well as your joys and talents. You are precious to all of us here, Allison.
    I listened to a You Tube video. I think you were at a Comic Con or something like that…but someone asked you about Tom Welling and you mentioned how loving and caring and such a nice person he was….well you know why you noticed that…because its in you….we are all a reflection of each other TO each other…if that makes sense.
    God bless.
    Robin

  • Arash

    Okay one more thing and then I’ll shut up…
    The lady refered to the concept of; “I am”.

    Each human cell has a cetain life time. Skin cells live for a few days , Brain cells can live for up to 7 years. But they are all eventually replaced (I think that is one of the reasons it took the lady 8 years to recover %100)

    So we are physically replaced %100 at least once every seven years yet, we often say when I WAS a kid I did that I went there I liked this … who is that “I” ?

    we are proud of something we did 28 years ago.
    or we may get arrested for a crime we committed 21 years ago.

    Who is that “I”.

    some people say it it our spirit which it’s existance is independent from our body. You lose a hand your spirit is intact. Your heart stops your spirit does not. And this is how they believe in life after death.

    Any body has a different view on the subject ?

  • Jennygirl

    It sounds nice to stay in the right side of the brain, and enjoy the nirvana, but then who will pick up the bananas on the way home? If we STAY there…nothing gets done.

    But nice to think about, especially when experiencing conflict with others, step back, take a moment for peace.

    Easier to do as a child as no one depending on you for anything.

  • david

    Enlightenment for me happens when i have an epiphany. A moment of clarity, straight forword untapped wisdom of understanding.

    When it comes to right, and left side of our brains. I can definitly see it in my dreams. Where sometimes i can remember reading something with words, and numbers that look normal. Other times when i go to read something.The words, and numbers are jumbled.

  • http://blog.spiritsun.net Harold

    Balance to me means that you can develop your spiritual side while still functioning in the everyday world of having a job and paying the bills. You don’t have to give up one to satisfy the other, but if you really want to achieve enlightenment, that has to be your top priority. Good luck.
    P.S. Glad to see you’ve commited to blogging daily. I made that commitment when I started my blog ten months ago and I’ve managed to stick with it. Somehow, I always find something to write about within the scope of my blog.

  • me Rachel

    She had a blood clot in her brian,so when oxygen is cut off from the brain your going to feel like your drunk and stuff. Did she ever think about that?

  • Brittny

    Oh I have so much stuff to do. But I’m glad I took some time out to watch this video. It’s beautiful. Thanks for sharing this Allison and thanks to Dr. Jill…

    I’m still processing it… but it is fun that the working of the human brain is in itself a balancing act. :D