Ice Cream Make Us Fat
We want balance in our lives and we need to accept the consequences of our actions to achieve it.
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When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.
John Muir
If there’s one thing we all seek in our lives, it’s balance.
We want to eat cheeseburgers whenever we want and still have six-pack abs. We want to stay up late and wake up early the next day. We want to make lots of money and relax all day long. We want to be strong and fast. We want to spend time with family and travel the world.
Every day is a constant battle between competing priorities. We excel in one area of life only to fall short in another.
We believe we would be happy and at peace if we could find the right balance between our priorities.
To understand the balance we crave, we can look to nature.
The Balance of Nature
Everything in nature is shaped by countless forces pushing and pulling in different directions, which create a natural equilibrium.
The number of trees in a forest is perfectly balanced with the available space and sunlight. When the forest is sparse, more trees grow to soak up the extra sunlight. When the forest is dense, trees die because there isn’t enough sunlight to sustain them.
The trees produce nuts for squirrels. If there are too many squirrels, there aren’t enough nuts. If there are too many nuts, there aren’t enough squirrels. And so the cycle continues.
This principle of equilibrium governs every aspect of an ecosystem. More of one thing inevitably means less of another.
Even when we use modern technology to manipulate nature’s balance, this principle remains true.
Genetically modified foods have higher yields, but they are less nutritious. Crossbred animals develop unique traits, but they have shorter lifespans.
There is no way to cheat nature’s equilibrium.
And yet, we try to cheat the equilibrium of our lives every day.
We look for the fastest and easiest ways to achieve the best results. We chase benefits and attempt to avoid the costs only to become endlessly frustrated when we can’t have it all.
Accepting Reality
The truth is, ice cream makes us fat. When we say yes to one invitation, we must decline another. Building a career, raising a family, accumulating wealth, and pursuing anything worthwhile takes decades of hard thankless work. These pursuits require sacrifices in other areas of life.
Healthy food doesn’t taste as good as processed food. Easy workouts don’t make us stronger. Part-time work doesn’t build wealth.
Just as more trees cannot survive without more sunlight, we cannot change or overcome the natural equilibrium of our lives.
The sooner we embrace our equilibrium instead of resisting it, the closer we get to achieving balance that brings true peace and satisfaction.
Instead of trying to squeeze in more, avoid consequences, and cheat the system, we should focus on understanding the trade-offs of our decisions. Rather than asking, "How can I make this work?" we should ask, "Is this worth the consequences?"
Once we understand and accept the consequences of our actions, we can use them to find what our individual equilibrium looks like. This likely means removing extraneous projects to focus on truly worthwhile pursuits.
Equilibrium is different for each of us and it changes as we move through the seasons of our lives, but the only way to find the balance we seek is to accept the reality of our decisions.
Once we accept the balance of nature, we can achieve it in our lives.
Prompts
Where are you trying to thwart the consequences of your actions instead of accepting reality?
What areas of your life are non-negotiable? What are the consequences of giving them the attention they require?
What does equilibrium look like in your current season of life? What do you need to do more of or less of to achieve it?
Deep Dive
A classic read reflecting on the simplicity and rhythm of living in nature.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you next Sunday.
Kevin