Here is an excerpt from my book, SEVEN STEPS TO INNER POWER. As you read through this, think about changes you’ve experienced in your life. Do you see any rhythms in the changes?
Perhaps the most obvious manifestation of yin and yang in action is change. The motion of the two forces of yin and yang in the world are seen in rhythms of change such as day and night, the ebb and flow of the tides, the changing of seasons, birth and death, death and regeneration, seed and harvest.
There are also rhythms of change in our bodies. Much has been written about biological rhythms, periods of increased and decreased energy that can affect our health and disposition. Some studies have helped employers create work shifts that harmonize with these rhythms. If you look carefully, you will see that there are also rhythms of change in other aspects of your life. Times of progress are followed by rest, followed by increase. Likewise, times of prosperity are followed by lack followed by abundance, joy is followed by sorrow followed by happiness, and so on.
Why is the knowledge of balance and change such a key tool? Because when you know that there are cycles of change, you avoid accepting limited or negative conditions as permanent or final. No matter where you are in a cycle, the seed for the new condition is there.
Just because that seed is present, though, does not mean it will automatically develop. Change itself is a journey, and at times it requires us to do some trimming and pruning, planting and harvesting. In the cycle of seed and harvest, for example, the harvest does not arrive automatically. The farmer must work the land, plant the seeds, and provide the water. When you desire a change, you must do the work of choosing to bring about the change and then support your choice with appropriate actions.
It’s easy to want to change a bad condition into a good one and to make the choice to do so. But what about when a good condition changes into a bad one and you didn’t choose that? The knowledge of balance and change is a tool here as well. That knowledge helps you keep your perspective when changes you didn’t expect occur.
