Sometimes life pushes you off your center of gravity and you feel like you are about to
fall. You are no longer in balance. So… what do you do to regain that balance?
When I learned to ride a unicycle, I realized that if I lost my balance,
I couldn’t keep pedalling. If I did, I would just fall at a higher speed.
So when I was about to fall… I needed to pause, just for a moment,
find my balance and then keep moving forward.
This “slowing down” has been with me ever since. And in our hectic, unbalanced
world it feels like the right thing to do. To slow down and find your footing again.
Do you also slow down?
But what if there is another aspect to this? What if you can regain your balance, not
by slowing down… but actually doing the opposite and speed up?
Let me introduce you to a gyroscope
Place it still on a table and it will fall over. Gravity wins every day of the week.
Put a spin on it and it can remain upright.
The center axis is stable but the surrounding world is spinning fast.
When it slows down… it starts to wobble. Bigger motion, less stability, less balance.
You can see a demonstration of it in this video below.
Previously, slowing down was the key to balance.
Now suddenly the opposite is true.
And on some level you already know this. You know it from riding a bike.
Standing still is hard. The faster you go, the less you need to use the steering.
So slowing down can help you with your balance and going faster can help you as well.
This is just another example of when two things…
two opposite things… are both true at the same time.
The question then becomes… how do you know what to do?
How do you know if you should slow down… or spin faster when you lose your footing?
Do you know your direction?
I wish the answer were as simple as figuring out if you are riding a bicycle or a unicycle.
It isn’t. But I don’t think it’s that complicated either and as always, there might be more than one answer.
In my experience it all depends on whether you know where you are going.
Again, look at the gyroscope. When it’s in motion, it resists any changes in direction.
The axis is locked in, focused, as the surrounding is spinning.
If you know your direction, then start to spin. Jump out of bed, get the ball rolling,
forge while the iron is hot and all the other analogies that tell you the same thing.
If you are moving but want to change direction, you first have to slow down.
Slowing down allows you to tumble and turn and align your values, hopes and dreams.
When you have found your new direction. Then start spinning again.
Life is a balancing act
If you know where you are going… move.
If you don’t know… then realign yourself.
If you feel that you start to wobble, it might be a sign worth listening to.
Is it time for a course correction, or have you been moving for a long time and
need to recharge?
Only you can answer that. I know that sounds like a cliché but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
You may look around you and see what others are doing, thinking that you have to do that too.
If sitting cross-legged in deep meditation sounds like torture, then don’t do it.
If rushing around juggling seven projects at once sounds like chaos, then say no to that.
(And don’t judge someone who wants to do what you don’t. )
Life is a balancing act and I can’t tell you if you should run fast or walk slowly. No one can.
But you will have to practice both to find your balance.
Want to learn more about me,
send me a DM on LinkedIn
Until next time!
Daniel - The Talking Bridge
Ps. Music Motivation:
