Daily Dose #1 (5/29/2011)

There are highs and lows in life. There's Euphoria and Utter Devastation, and the sine wave shaped path between them.

Most folks will tell you that the the key to life is balance, and some kind of middle position.

I find consistency, and the need to achieve it, rather banal. Aiming straight for the middle is the hobgoblin of little minds.I'm not saying I haven't done that... trying to achieve consistency can be an extremely edifying and rewarding experience. But in the end, I always end up boring myself when consistency is a final goal or destination point.

That sine wave path between the two radical positions of the wave is just process. I live for the top and the bottom moments.

Wouldn't it be grand if you could only experience euphoria, without the mess of utter devastation? Sure it would! But unfortunately you can't have one without the other, if only for the aspect of comparative analysis.

Yin/Yang, Sacred/Profane, Good/Evil, Black/White, Day/Night.... its all been philosophicatin' raked over the coals, usually ending up with the conclusion an ancient wisdom that it's the embrace of both polar opposites that give you a true appreciation of both... usually framed as how to appreciate the highs when you find yourself in the depths of the spiritual and emotional lowlands, trudging through the muck of pain.

The old homespun wisdom gets employed when you can't left your feet out of the sludge: "Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining"," When A Door Closes, A Window Opens", "Is the Glass Half Empty, or Half Full?".

But what about flipping it around? "Every Silver Lining Has A Cloud?"or "When you feel a window opening, your door is slamming shut?"

Then everybody just thinks you are a party pooper... and eternal "Eeyore" that can't enjoy the moment because you have one eye on the boom that will, eventually always fall.

Being the eternal optimist comes at a price, one that you might ignore in pursuit of dreams...but it always comes at a price. Ain't nothin for free in this world. The same comes from being an eternal pessimist. Eventually, you will be disproved when exclusively adopting that mindset.

Surrounding yourself with a cushion emotional and intellectual sycophancy might be comfortable, but in the end, all that does is prevent you from reaching a true euphoria. To authentically live without fear brings the Visigoths upon your head just as fast as living in fear of them, as you expose your vulnerabilities and weaknesses for the Visigoths to exploit.

If you are brave enough to seek both those radical points on the curve, you have to be ready for them. Its not a question of "If", but "When".You have to be prepared.

The best you can do is answer the internally motivated "Why?". If you can successfully answer that, then its time to leave it all on the floor, with nothing left in reserve.

Don't worry about the rollercoaster of amplitude... just make sure to tighten up the distance between the amplitude points. That's the best anyone can do.

Just buckle up, lower the safety bar, and try as you might, there will always be situations where you will have to repair the cart while its rolling... so be ready to improvise.