*The following article is translated from Hebrew so may not be as grammatically correct as my more recent articles. *
Finding balance:
“The universal law of being successful and happy at the same time means finding the balance” – Master Shaolin Shi Hang Yi
Like many in the Land of Israel now, it is difficult for me not to ignore the situation that is happening in the country with the government, with the rift in the people, and with all the chaos of the corona, the economy, and politics. If all my attention is there (as has sometimes happened in the last week), it will create an image in my mind that the situation is bad, that there is chaos, and that one or another group is to blame or wrong.
It is important for me to talk about it because things like politics are certainly not inseparable from living a conscious and happy life. The message I am writing here may not be so polished or clear but I will give it a chance and please forgive me. In one person’s question about “what he can do”, hopelessness and helplessness can rise or anger, no doubt anger.
I still do not know what can be done and I have no answers however here is something I have been practicing lately that can help you: staying calm. Why stay calm? Because when we are calm and happy we make great decisions (and there are studies to back it up).
And without a doubt, I fail a total failure in this practice sometimes… But hey, if I’m a little more relaxed than yesterday or before I started practicing it then it’s already an achievement.
And why is it important to be calm on a political and national level? Because all this chaos is as it is called “chaos”, chaos from people who act reactive and very uneasy, and then mutual respect is thrown aside.
All I am saying here is just one point of view of the course and very limited. What I am writing may imply that one should refrain from taking action but I do not think that is my intention, but that every action you take should come calm from the “angel that is in the nature of each of us” – as Abraham Lincoln said. Personally, with all this, I chose to practice calm and at the same time, I will go this week to demonstrate.
I do not think it is naive to think that calm has power and influence because if the people in politics up there in the government of all parties were calmer, more caring, and if the demonstrators on both sides stopped acting violently and the police stopped behaving violently – we would have a nicer place to live in I have no doubt.
My great inspiration and someone whose words I always look for as guidance in challenging political situations is Thich Nhat Hanh. Anyone who wants is welcome to read about him (I will post a link to something he wrote during the Vietnam War. He acted amazingly during the Vietnam War to mediate between the American and Vietnamese people.
https://plumvillage.org/…/a-proposal-for-peace-1-june…/
So in conclusion, I practice proportion and proportion and calmness is important to me, easy to lose
In what we see in the news yet I walk down the street every day, meet nice people and see that the sky is blue. It could be that the same policeman who was violent, that the same two protesters from different sides fought if they had met in the army or had a small talk at the gym they would have become good friends. And every day, do not forget to smile
