Benjamin Franklin suggests that moderation is averting extremes. In a culture obsessed with accumulating more things, more approval, more beauty, and more pleasure we must rethink - do we really need more or do we simply need moderation? I believe it is important to consider the question - how does moderation help us to live a fulfilling life? And I suggest to you there are three ways moderation guides us to a fulfilling life:
Less is More The law of diminishing return states that beyond some threshold, each additional unit "in" does not yield more. Imagine one cook in the kitchen, initially more cooks in a kitchen increases the effectiveness of cooking yet there is a point at which too many cooks in the kitchen yields negative results in other words less productivity. Our life works like this as well, too many clothes in a closet yields an inability to find what we need, too much time working leads to an inability to have a social life, and too much food in the stomach leads to an inability to move! More isn't always better hence moderation is key.
Contentment When we stop searching for more, for better, for different, for larger, for newer, and appreciate exactly what we have now, we surrender to the perfection of the present moment. Moderation allows us to fully savor that which we already have.
Balance Balance in our lives is a place where all of the people, projects, and things presently in our life are manageable. Moderation brings us this stability. Balance is also about managing the extremes of our behavior. When we have too much or too little of any one activity we become out of balance. Take sun exposure, for example, too little and we have a vitamin D deficiency, too much and our skin is bright red and painful. Moderation both tempers and anchors.
Through moderation we find that often less is more, we feel content, and we find balance - each of which leads to a fulfilling life. The ability to enjoy and appreciate what we have today leads to a full, rich life filled with gratitude and satisfaction. Therefore I suggest to you that moderation is one of the secrets to a fulfilling life.
Take Action Challenge Take five minutes and select one area of your life where you would like to have moderation. Grab a pen and write down five ways that you can add moderation to this area. Then next to each put the days of the week, Monday through Friday. Remember to keep this list in a place where you can refer to it. Mark your calendar for one week from today and reflect upon your success. Notice what worked and what didn't and adjust accordingly. For example, if you decide that you are going add moderation by getting more sleep each night then select five ways that you can get more sleep. At the end of the week reflect upon the success of your goal. Ask yourself, am I sleeping better? Is my time, closet, office, or car more organized? Am I working more efficiently and effectively? Whatever area of your life you desire to add moderation - ask yourself what steps worked and continue to do those. May you have success in your journey!
Blessings to you, Margaret.
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