Yes. I’m a bit early with this. Because I thought that it would take me a while to come up with a 2016 word for the year and that I would blog all through October in pursuit of that word. Well, maybe, maybe not.
Because “balance” appeared and I decided to look it up and suddenly it has all these shades of meaning that I had not even thought about and became very enticing, and BIG as in can cover not only personal balance but balance in the larger world – which I hadn’t thought about but which meets my question about how to interact with hatefulness from a peaceful center. Center point: fulcrum of balance (is fulcrum the right word?). Ta-dah!
But I’m beginning with the end instead of the beginning so let’s go back to the definitions that yanked me right on in (the red indicates language that attracted me):
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1.an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.“slipping in the mud but keeping their balance”
synonyms: stability, equilibrium, steadiness, footing “I tripped and lost my balance”antonyms: instability -
stability of one’s mind or feelings.“the way to some kind of peace and personal balance”
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SAILINGthe ability of a boat to stay on course without adjustment of the rudder.
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2.a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.“overseas investments can add balance to an investment portfolio”
synonyms: fairness, justice, impartiality, evenhandedness, egalitarianism, equal opportunity; More antonyms: imbalance -
ARTharmony of design and proportion.
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the relative volume of various sources of sound.“the balance of the voices is good”
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3.an apparatus for weighing, especially one with a central pivot, beam, and a pair of scales.
synonyms: scale(s), weighing machine “the food was weighed on a balance”-
the zodiacal sign or constellation Libra. [Libra is the opposite/complementary sign of Aries – my sign – i.e., it’s balance]singular proper noun: Balance; noun: the Balance
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4.. This is the biggie – counteracting forces that seem to me to be unbalancing the world toward the worse. This is the one that won me over!
synonyms: counterbalance, counterweight, stabilizer, compensation “this stylistic development provides a balance to the rest of the work”-
the regulating device in a mechanical clock or watch.noun: balance wheel; plural noun: balance wheels
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5.a predominating weight or amount; the majority.“the balance of opinion was that work was more important than leisure”
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6.a figure representing the difference between credits and debits in an account; the amount of money held in an account.“he accumulated a healthy balance with the savings bank”
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the difference between an amount due and an amount paid.“unpaid credit-card balances”
synonyms: remainder, outstanding amount, rest, residue, difference, remaining part “the balance of the rent” -
an amount left over.
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2.offset or compare the value of (one thing) with another.“the cost of obtaining such information needs to be balanced against its benefits”
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counteract, equal, or neutralize the weight or importance of.“he balanced his radical remarks with more familiar declarations”
synonyms: counterbalance, balance out, offset, even out/up, counteract,compensate for, make up for “he balanced his radical remarks with more familiar declarations” -
establish equal or appropriate proportions of elements in.“balancing work and family life”
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3.compare debits and credits in (an account), typically to ensure that they are equal.“the law requires the council to balance its books each year”
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(of an account) have credits and debits equal.
5 Comments
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Jackie – center. it moves. especially when we’re growing. Growth spurts make the movement more noticeable. Charting it!
Rita – yes MANY layers and I am determined to savor them and work this slowly vs. my usual “let me get through this and on to the next.”
This is something to think about. Keeping center. For me, moving along the path and staying upright even as the ground beneath us shakes and possibly opens. Love this…
That is a great work for 2016! Many layers, yes. 🙂