Moderation
Coming home to the body, again and again
One of Doodle’s earliest life lessons presented itself on his first birthday in the form of a glorious pink cake with marzipan frosting, a curly tale, and a snout begging to be eaten. Consuming it with gusto gave him great satisfaction, until it didn’t.
The next morning, Doodle’s body wholeheartedly rejected the oversized portion of sugar. It took a week for balance to be restored and for Doodle to feel himself again.
Doodle was small and the lesson was brief, but the learning stayed with him the rest of his days. First and foremost, Doodle learned the importance of listening to the whole of his being, not just his eyes or stomach.
Throughout his life, periods of overdoing and underdoing reinforced the lesson. Whenever Doodle forgot to check-in with himself, True-and-Whole Doodle reminded him to strive for balance. Karma sometimes acted quickly and sometimes took its time, but the consequences of Doodle’s choices washed over him as sure as waves on sand.
Moderation became not just a guiding principle in his life but a practice that required ongoing tuning in and recalibration in alignment with his personal Truth. In this manner, Doodle also learned to trust his Inner Knowing.
An inner anchor gave mature Doodle the ability to make discerning decisions about work, play and relationships. He learned how to balance giving with receiving, talking with listening, acting with waiting, doing with being.
Doodle’s greatest satisfaction in life was feeling he could cross entire oceans of time, knowing when to tighten his sail and when to let go.
Balance is never static, rather a lifelong practice of returning to one’s centre. What helps you stay in balance?