This is http://www.essayz.com/a9306031.htm         
Previous-Essay      <== This-Essay ==>     Following-Essay
Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words.
{Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.}
==========================================================
   %EXCESS NEGLECT LACK BALANCE EXCLUSIVE DICHOTOMY+930603
 %LOVE HEALTH PRESCRIBE PROHIBIT TABOO VIOLENCE JOY 930603

     Balance is essential to healthy living,  but how  may
we  define balance as regards healthy living?    Numerical
equations  and  equipment for making measurement  are  not
essential   to   the   enjoyment   of   balanced   living.
Sophistication  and  complexity are not keys  to  balanced
living.   Prescriptions and prohibitions are not essential
to the enjoyment of balanced living.   The total avoidance
of  taboo experiences and perceptions is not the  essence.
Respect for the rules of collusions and addicts is not the
way  to  living  balanced  lives.    Fanatical dichotomous
thinking is not essential.   Exclusivity is not the key to
balanced living.   The use of violence to enforce balanced
living  is misguided.    How then are we to recognize  the
difference between balanced living and unbalanced living?

     If  we  are not enjoying life because of excesses  of
any kind,  we are not living balanced lives.   Excesses of
one kind  in  unbalanced  living,   lead to the neglect of
essential aspects of healthy balanced living.   We need to
look  for the  connections between excesses one kind,  and
neglects and lacks of other kinds;  which together lead to
the absence of joy,  enjoyment,  communication,  dialogue,
listening, intimacy,  affection,   communal integrity  and
personal integrity.

     Unbalanced   living  often  occurs  because  of   our
unbalanced  affirmations of the importance of one kind  of
value  and/or  ideal without respect for the complementary
kinds of values and/or ideals.  Unbalanced living is often
rooted in exclusivity of one kind or another.  Exclusivity
is in turn often rooted in dichotomous attitudes, beliefs,
and thought patterns---which lead us to act as if we  know
the difference between good and evil:   people, attitudes,
beliefs,   thoughts,   perceptions,    experiences,    and
behaviors.   If we trust such "knowledge"  we are unlikely
to trust each other; and so we are likely to suffer all of
the    consequences   of   rejection,     excommunication,
alienation, and disintegration.

     We need  to  search for integrity and honesty  in our
patterns  of  whom and what we trust.   In the absence  of
such searching we are likely to become unbalanced and  not
enjoy each other or life.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
==========================================================