Balance & the Serenity Prayer

Is your life running smoothly and efficiently? Do you have control of your life? Or does it feel like it is spinning out of control? In today’s world, I am finding more and more people who tell me that they seem to have no time, no energy, and no freedom to do what they want to do. They appear to always be on an emotional roller coaster. Does this sound familiar? Or are you practicing your T’ai Chi Chih and have some semblance of inner and outer balance? That is what happens when we practice what we learn and teach in class.

As I am writing this, I am striving for a balance … but I need more TCC! There are too many things happening in my life at the moment. I am not artful or eloquent with words, but something tells me that this article is as important for me to write as it will be for someone else to read. I need to re-discover my path to my own personal balance. “Balance.” We are always discussing it with someone, always talking about having “a balanced life style.” What is balance? How do we describe it, attain it, maintain it? Few of us manage to attain and sustain it forever and always. It takes effort to realize and accept the fact that we need to make time to replenish our bodies, minds, and spirits and unite them as much as possible. It doesn’t happen by osmosis.

Every living, breathing thing is kept alive by its Vital Force, also known as prana, Chi, or energy. While we regularly practice TCC to help attain balance of Chi, we start to glow and flow with energy – there by developing the skills necessary to bring more balance and understanding to our daily lives on the outside as well. We appear to be more capable of uniting body, mind, and spirit into a flowing, co-coordinated powerhouse of balanced energy.

By practicing TCC we expend very little energy to gain an enormous amount of coping power and strength. If our inner energy is balanced and quiet, it is much easier for us to make wiser decisions, to set and attain our chosen goals. It allows us to choose priorities in life that, in turn, allows us more control over ourselves. We learn we always have choices; we learn to let go. We learn to attain the “serenity to accept the things we cannot change; courage to change the things we can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”

By practicing TCC faithfully to balance our inner selves, we have, in essence, put into practice the Serenity Prayer. I hope you all have the urge to practice more TCC daily so we are all balanced at the conference in New Jersey. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Balancing & Blooming

By Ginny Morgan, Albuquerque, NM

Several things have happened in my life recently that upset my balance. My husband’s job is now in Kansas City, where our children and grandchildren live. But I want to remain in Albuquerque studying with Justin Stone. So my husband travels back and forth – so that I can be with Justin. It’s a delicate balance. We also just lost a beloved golden retriever and there is an incredible void in our lives. But last week our new “golden” was born! Loss and joy are balanced.

Having T’ai Chi Chih and meditation to sink down into, and become one with my inner spirit and the Universe, have helped me to go with the flow of these daily experiences. My practice has allowed me to understand that my continued struggle is to just trust and to not try to have things in order all the time. It continues to amaze me how many layers there are to TCC. And it continues to amaze me about the continual “Blooming of the Flower” which unfolds with faithful practice. I recently related to Justin that I could not imagine being more grateful and joyful than I am right now, but these feelings continue to grow! What an incredible gift we have with TCC.