Finding balance - the paradox of plenty & living your life like a banquet
Today’s piece is all about finding your balance. Hope every one enjoys!
The Paradox of Plenty
It is generally observed, that in countries of the greatest plenty there is the poorest living
That quote, from 18th century publication, The Spectator, was one of the earliest known references to the paradox of plenty (or the resource curse), the counterintuitive observation that many of the poorest countries are also those blessed with the most natural resources.
There have been numerous academic debates and studies conducted on the reasons behind the paradox of plenty, why some countries succumb and others lucky enough to be exceptions to the rule.
One of the most popular theories is that the abundance of a resource causes the country’s economy to be too concentrated on a few select resource-dependent industries, breaking one of the cardinal rules of investing – diversification and leaving it vulnerable to swings in commodity prices or other economic shocks. Furthermore, concentration of economic power can lead to concentration of political power, resulting in less democracy and poorer quality of life for the general populace.
The paradox of plenty also applies to our personal lives. Nearly everything in excess can be bad for you. Too much exercise leads to injuries. Too much good food leads to obesity. Too much choice leads to decision fatigue and anxiety. Too much comfort leads to inertia.
We need to learn to find that Goldilocks zone - that balance between good and bad, pleasure and pain, easy and hard.
Live Life Like a Banquet
Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around it comes to you; stretch out your hand, take a portion of it politely. It passes on; do not detain it. Or it has not come to you yet; do not project your desire to meet it, but wait until it comes in front of you. So act toward children, so toward a wife, so toward office, so toward wealth
My first impression when reading this quote was that I’ve been doing banquets wrong my entire life. This might not come as a surprise given my past behavior at weddings. Apparently, following the Hors d'oeuvres plate around and loading up on the good stuff is not appropriate behavior. Who knew?
More importantly, the lesson here is to live a life of moderation. We all want to experience pleasures and nice things, especially if we see others have it. It’s human nature to think this way. Social media is basically built on showing you all the cool shit everyone else has.
Don’t let this natural desire control your behaviors and actions. This yearning is what takes you away from appreciating all that you do have. You can’t be centered and balanced internally if you’re constantly looking for fulfillment externally. Instead of agonizing over what’s missing, practice gratitude for what’s there, and be prepared for when new opportunities present themselves. When they do, take what you need and let it go.
Finding Your Balance
Anytime I’m in a rut, lacking energy and motivation to push forward my goals, I’ve found it’s usually because some part of my life has fallen out of balance. I’ve devoted too much energy to one area of my life and let another fall by the wayside.
I have a natural inclination for more. Drink more, eat more, work more. This tendency has sometimes served me well, especially early in my career in finance where I was an absolute machine cranking out models and presentations over 80+ hour work weeks. But mostly it’s been a detriment, especially the drinking. Extremes can be fun but when your life is full of extremes, eventually you lose your center.
Living a more balanced lifestyle is something I’ve been actively working on. Part of that process has been accepting that my capacity is limited. There is a finite amount of time and focus to dedicate to the things in your life. You can do anything but you can’t do everything. Doing more can’t be the answer to everything. More often than not, doing less is the better solution.
Michaelangelo used to say every sculpture he made was already in the original stone block. His job was just to chisel away all the superfluous material. Finding your balance is to chip away the bullshit in your life, everything you thought you needed but are really just distractions at the end of the day.
Julian was born 4 weeks early on October 22. Instead of a Scorpio, he made the cut for Libra by less than a day. The motto for Libra is “I balance”.
If you asked me 12 months ago what I thought of astrology, I most likely would have laughed at you. I would say unequivocally that the position of the sun, moon and stars the moment of someone’s birth has zero bearing on how that person’s life unfolds.
I try to keep a more open mind to things now.
Most things in life aren’t about right vs. wrong. Debating over whether astrology is “real” isn’t the point. It’s more important to seek understanding and deeper meaning than to win an argument.
I believe that Julian being born a Libra at the exact point in my life when I was seeking balance a a sign that I'm on the right path. He will always be a reminder for me to strive for balance. That in and of itself is good enough for me.