Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.
~ George Santayana
The universe is an amazing place. It is a living, growing entity which is struggling toward some goal none of us has any ability to truly understand. One of the main principles that keeps it alive and growing is balance. Good is balanced against evil. Plenty is balanced against poverty.
Lately, the balance of the universe seems to be tilting crazily from one extreme to the other. Violence perpetrated in one part of the world is offset by acts of kindness and compassion performed in another. Although we do not often hear about the acts of kindness, we hear plenty about the violence and evil. Still, just because we aren’t given any information about the acts of courage, tenderness, and patience that happen every day, it does not follow that the universe is unaware. Indeed, it must be aware of such acts. If it weren’t, it would probably start to die.
We must, therefore, allow ourselves to be encouraged each and every day. Find at least one good thing to talk about to as many people as possible. Look for at least one funny or positive story in the newspaper or when watching the news on television. Search for an article on the internet that leaves you feeling uplifted and share it with other people around you. Email it to your friends and family. Tweet it if you use twitter. Share it on facebook or on your personal web log.
Man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is moving forward. ~ Maxwell Maltz
When we start to do these things, we’re spreading good and keeping the universe, as well as our spirits alive and balanced. The more we do it, the louder the positive voices become. The louder they become, the more in balance the universe will start to seem. Soon, if we’re lucky and keep yelling about the good that is being done every day, we may just get the attention of the owners of the giant media corporations, and they, too, might start talking more about the positive things humankind is doing. Eventually, one day, the positive will push back enough to force the negative acts or hatred, anger, fear and ignorance into the darkness, where they belong.
One should see the world, and see himself as a scale with an equal balance of good and evil. When he does one good deed the scale is tipped to the good – he and the world is saved. When he does one evil deed the scale is tipped to the bad – he and the world is destroyed. ~ Maimonides