A Delicate Dance

A Delicate Dance

Within all of us plays a ceaseless dance between ego and heart.  The ego leads us towards self-affirming actions and the heart gently bends back towards feeling and soul.  The strong headed “I” tells us that we must make ourselves known and respected by obtaining possessions, money, status, and recognition.  The gentler heart tells us that we should move towards what makes our heart sing.  When they are dancing together, it can be difficult to distinguish who is leading and who is being led.

The ego makes happiness a destination that we rarely arrive at.  The heart makes happiness the path towards a destination that is unknown.

When your ego is leading, you will say things like; as soon as I have a bigger house, I’ll be happy, or as soon as I get a promotion, I’ll be happy.  When your heart is leading you may follow it right to a tiny home in the mountains, or to a job that pays less but brings you fulfillment.  In essence, you follow your feelings towards true happiness.

This is the delicate dance between heart and ego.  The ego tells us that we need more to be happy.  The heart tells us how to be happy now.  Listening to the heart doesn’t mean becoming complacent.  It means following happiness to your true calling.  There will still be struggles and sacrifices on your journey, but you will face them with joy in your heart.     

Watching Water

Watching Water

Humans

Try to dam it

Try to divert it

Try to collect it

In the end we can't control it

Surrender

Something greater reclaims it

Back to the rivers

Back to the clouds

Back to the sea

It all ends up where it needs to be

This poem is one example of man's need to control.  We try to control nature, our children, our employees, our future, and our fate.  In the end, we realize that life flows at its own will despite all of our efforts to manipulate it.  Today, I am practicing the art of letting life flow simply watching where it takes me.