Pan Metron Ariston

Παν μέτρον άριστον (Pan Metron Ariston): Everything in measure/moderation – Kleovoulos o Lindios (6th century BC.)

Harmony, balance…Words we strive to live by and attain to in our every day lives. We do our best to work towards that perfect middle ground with everything we do. That middle ground where we aren’t stressed or over worked by either side of the spectrum of life. There is so much beauty in harmony and balance and moderation….. This journey is where we find our true selves and learn things about ourselves that we might not have known if we hadn’t decided purposely to work towards these goals.

Everything in moderation…. Moderation in the Webster’s Dictionary is defined as “the avoidance of excess or extremes,…” To some these days moderation is viewed negatively as being cautious, and not wanting to live life on the edge. There is a HUGE difference though between being adventurous and living in the moment, and then living life too much on the edge. You can still be adventurous and do things in moderation. Moderation is having fun but knowing where the fine line between fun and dangerous is. Knowing when to stop and move on even if people are pressuring you to go all the way. Know your own boundaries and don’t let other try to pressure you into something you are not comfortable with. That usually nine times out of ten does not end well. A perfect example for me is going out for drinks with friends. I can have a ton of fun with friends, drinking, enjoying the social time, but then I stop drinking when I feel I’ve hit a point where I’m still coherent and having fun. Moderation, but also fun right!?

Finding the harmony in life is so crucial for our overall health in the long run. Finding that balance helps us to avoid the burnout down the road. The exhaustion from not learning to take time for ourselves, and instead always being on that work grind. We can do both! In fact we must do both. If we live our life all work and no play then we burn out quickly, BUT if we live our life the opposite then we can also burn out quickly just in a different way. It’s figuring out what works best for us in the long run for our mental, emotional and physical health. It’s finding the balance in life where we can still laugh and not feel like we are losing any of the precious moments life is giving us. I was talking with a friend the other day about laughter… truth moment here… When I truly laugh and find whatever situation I’m in actually funny I snort. Then I laugh because I just snorted and then I snort again and the cycle just keeps going. I love those moments though because in those moments I feel completely and genuinely happy. We have to find a balance in life where we can still laugh and have fun, but also be on the grind and work for what we want in life.

When I think of the Phrase “Everything in Moderation/Measure” it also makes me think about how similar it is to the phrase “Everything in it’s own time.” Everything will happen in time we just have to be patient and trust the process. If we are always trying to work on ourselves and be secure in our own person everything will eventually fall in place. Patience is a virtue that is something we all should strive for. I know I always am working towards being patient. It is easy being patient in daily things or smaller things here and there, but there are definitely parts of my life where my patience is tested. That builds character though…. It tests you, strengthens you, stretches you…. And during this whole process if you find that balance in life as well, you will DEFINITELY be rewarded down the road. Good things will come your way I promise.

I find saying these words to myself however, is often so much easier than believing them…. I know that rings true with everyone. It’s easy to tell people things, but when it comes to actually believing them ourselves it is really difficult. This ties perfectly in with my last post I wrote too about not forgetting yourself. (Blog Link) We have to find that balance of telling ourselves AND believing it! Repetition is helpful; if at first you don’t believe what you are telling yourself, keep doing it because over time I promise you will believe it! Fake it till you make it…. Keep reminding yourself and someday it will become a part of you. I am currently in the process of doing this myself… just reminding myself each day I AM worthy of love and I AM special! Most days now I believe that, but there are some days where I don’t believe what I am telling myself. It is all a process, we are all only human, and we just have to keep pushing and growing.

Everything in measure, in moderation, in time….. We have to find that balance and harmony in life, and be secure in our own person. We can’t look left or right at what others are doing, we have to find that stability in ourselves and be happy with our life. We create the life we want, but we have to be willing to put in the work though. If we work hard for what we want the reward is so much sweeter because everything will eventually work out. Life will pan out for us…. I believe if we find that balance in life we find freedom because we can enjoy life and live it to the fullest. Easier said than done I know, but I believe in every one of us. Take the time to step back and find that harmony between working for what you want and then enjoying your life as well. Take that step back now so later down the road you can easily enjoy every moment without stopping or cheating on life. All the best!

S’Agapo

Photo by Michael Holt