The Duality of Stability
So many crave stability in their life or in at least aspects of their lives. There is something potentially safe or grounded about stability. Though if different people were asked to define, draw, or demonstrate stability, chances are that there would be many variations and some common themes. One of those themes, chances are, is strength. Another one might be a variation of the concept of rigidity. Rigid and strength oftentimes are confused for each other or are knowingly or unknowingly closely tied together.
There are many sources of inspiration when it comes to exploring stability. We can look in almost any direction and see stability around us. Nature, however, seems to be the most inspirational, as it has served as inspiration for humans for many generations. Trees are strong, stable, and beautiful. They serve many functions in the cycle of life. Birds and other wildlife find shelter and a home. Carbon dioxide is photosynthesized into oxygen. To name a couple. Trees are able to support all these different functions due to their structure, strength, and stability. They are built in such a way to be able to chemically convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. They are strong enough to withstand wind, rain, snow, and other natural elements. They are stable because they are grounded to the earth while being flexible.
Groundedness and flexibility allow us to be stable. It isn’t necessarily strength, though that may play a part. And it isn’t rigidity that allows us to be stable. Rigidity is easily breakable. Think of glass when it hits something hard. It shatters! Being stable invites us to root into the earth and find our own roots while also asking us to be flexible. This may seem like a paradox in some ways. Be rooted while being flexible? Being rooted allows us to find that connection to ourselves, our beliefs, our values, and not be dragged along with life. It also asks us to be mindful of our own energy so that when it starts to rise with stress, for example, we can take action to reconnect. Being flexible means being able to navigate by moving with angulation of life, taking in new information, acknowledging and embracing change.
Stability is both finding our roots and dancing with flexibility. By embracing the duality we find our stability. When we find stability, we also find freedom. The freedom to explore. The freedom to be ourselves. The freedom to embrace challenge and change without the fear of being broken. The freedom to extend our reach in service of others. And also the freedom to acknowledge that we have special gifts to share.
Tree where the roots are visible.
Take Action Today Moment:
Find a spot where you can watch a tree in different types of weather, sunny, rainy, windy, snowy, etc. Spend several moments watching how the tree interacts with the environment. Notice how the roots secure it to the earth while its branches sway and move. Then if you are feeling so included, write, draw, or find movement to express what you observed, felt, thought, etc. Take any lessons you learned and see how you can integrate them into your life or simply acknowledge time you spent. Repeat this experience as often as desired. See if anything shifts or changes for you.