How do we strike a balance in life? It's an age-old question, one of great want and necessity.
Buddha, Aristotle, Jesus, Proust, Thoreau, all the great philosophers, holy men, poets, and writers have grappled with this idea of happiness and contentment.
So much, however, in what we learn and experience becomes all too self-serving. The best answers appear to come in the form of contradiction (for lack of a better word): that in being compassionate and serving others, one finds and receives compassion and contentment.
Seems very simple a notion. But as with so many concepts one considers simple, the applications sure are very difficult. We're up against ourselves. More often than not, we create the barriers and restrictions that hold us back much more so than have to face outside barriers created for us. And when those walls and chains become a nuisance, it's even harder to practice good and healthy behavior.
In our daily lives we have tasks to complete, problems to trouble-shoot, people to contend with. When do we have the time and willingness to be compassionate? I tend to think that the answer is, all the time, if not the willingness-- even given all those matters of the moment that try to sap away at our positive energy and karma.
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