SeekingBalance

JayBall,SacramentMeetingTalk,Nov13,2011

Introduction:
Acertainshopkeepersenthissontolearnaboutthesecretofhappinessfromthewisestmanin theworld.Theladwanderedthroughthedesertforfortydays,andfinallycameuponabeautiful castle,highatopamountain.Itwastherethatthewisemanlived. "Ratherthanfindingasaintlyman,though,ourhero,onenteringthemainroomofthecastle, sawahiveofactivity:tradesmencameandwent,peoplewereconversinginthecorners,asmall orchestrawasplayingsoftmusic,andtherewasatablecoveredwithplattersofthemost deliciousfoodinthatpartoftheworld.Thewisemanconversedwitheveryone,andtheboyhad towaitfortwohoursbeforeitwashisturntobegiventheman'sattention. "Thewisemanlistenedattentivelytotheboy'sexplanationofwhyhehadcome,buttoldhim thathedidn'thavetimejustthentoexplainthesecretofhappiness.Hesuggestedthattheboy lookaroundthepalaceandreturnintwohours. "'Meanwhile,Iwanttoaskyoutodosomething,'saidthewiseman,handingtheboya teaspoonthatheldtwodropsofoil.'Asyouwanderaround,carrythisspoonwithyouwithout allowingtheoiltospill.' "Theboybeganclimbinganddescendingthemanystairwaysofthepalace,keepinghiseyes fixedonthespoon.Aftertwohours,hereturnedtotheroomwherethewisemanwas. "'Well,'askedthewiseman,'didyouseethePersiantapestriesthatarehanginginmydining hall?Didyouseethegardenthatittookthemastergardenertenyearstocreate?Didyounotice thebeautifulparchmentsinmylibrary?' "Theboywasembarrassed,andconfessedthathehadobservednothing.Hisonlyconcernhad beennottospilltheoilthatthewisemanhadentrustedtohim. "'Thengobackandobservethemarvelsofmyworld,'saidthewiseman.'Youcannottrusta manifyoudon'tknowhishouse. Relieved,theboypickedupthespoonandreturnedtohisexplorationofthepalace,thistime observingalloftheworksofartontheceilingsandthewalls.Hesawthegardens,the mountainsallaroundhim,thebeautyoftheflowers,andthetastewithwhicheverythinghad beenselected.Uponreturningtothewiseman,herelatedindetaileverythinghehadseen. "'ButwherearethedropsofoilIentrustedtoyou?'askedthewiseman. "Lookingdownatthespoonheheld,theboysawthattheoilwasgone. "'Well,thereisonlyonepieceofadviceIcangiveyou,'saidthewisestofwisemen.'Thesecret ofhappinessistoseeallthemarvelsoftheworld,andnevertoforgetthedropsofoilonthe spoon FromTheAlchemistbyPauloCoelho

Ibelievethatthekeytohappinessisbalance.ChristgrewinwisdomandstatureandinfavorwithGod andman.Heexemplifiedtheperfectbalancebetweenthephysical,spiritual,intellectualandsocial. WhatIhavelearnedfromstudyandfrommypersonalexperienceisthatifwewanttoachievebalance inourexternalworld,thenwemuststartwithbalanceinourinnerselves. TheProblem Howcanweexplaintheneverendingirrationalityofhumanbehavior? Wesaywewantonething,thenwedoanother.Wesaywewanttobesuccessfulbutwesabotagethe jobinterview.Wesaywewanttoinspireandedifyothers,butweputoffpreparingourlessonortalktill thelastminute.Wesaywewanttobethinbutweeattoomuch.Wesaywewanttobesmartbutwe skipclassordon'treadthatbookafriendormentorlentus. Thecontradictionsneverend.Whensomeoneshowsupandactswithoutcontradiction,we'reamazed. Whenanathletejustdoesthesport,orwhenawriterjustwritesthewords,wecan'thelpbutwatch, astonishedatthepurityoftheiractions.Whyisitsodifficulttodowhatwesaywe'regoingtodo? (modifiedslightlyfromSethGodenblog,Thelizardbrain.) IbelieveithastodowithwhatDavidO.McKaycalled,thedualnatureofman. DavidOMcKaytaught, Manisadualbeing,andhislifeaplanofGod.Thatisthefirstfundamentalfacttokeepin mind.Manhasanaturalbodyandaspiritualbody.Indeclaringthisfactthescripturesarevery explicit: Haveyoueverbeenconflictedwithdialogsthatgooninsideyourownhead? Whenyouhearthisvoiceinyourheadsaying,Itoldyouitwouldneverwork.Youpresentedyourgreat ideaandpeoplehateit.Yoursubconsciousspeaksup,youshouldhavelistenedtome,or,Iknew youshouldnthavedonethat.Who,exactlyisyou,andwhomisthisvoiceaddressing? SethGoden,inhisbookLinchpinwritesaboutourlizardbrain.Alsocalledourreptilianbrain.Itis responsibleforoursurvivalrelatedfunctionslikebreathing,digestion,circulation,fightorflight,and movement.Ithousesourbasicprimalinstinctsandthrowsusintosurvivalmodeforthingsthatitmay perceiveasthreats.Itdoesntlikebeinglaughedat,worriesaboutsafety,dishesoutanger.Iseasyto arouse,loveseating,isskeptical,andwillshutdownourdesiretoachievegreatthingsatthefirstsignof bringostracized. Biologistscallthispartofourbraintheamygdala.Oneofitsmainjobsisassessingdangerandkeeping ussafe.Becauseofitstendencytomakeusdoubtourselves,remainmediocre,andkeepouroutlook narrow,StevenPressfieldappropriatelyreferstothispartofourbrain,theresistance. KingBenjamingavetheresistanceanameaswell.Hecalleditthenaturalman. ForthenaturalmanisanenemytoGod,andhasbeenfromthefallofAdam,andwillbe, foreverandever,unlessheyieldstotheenticingsoftheHolySpirit,andputtethoffthenatural manandbecomethasaintthroughtheatonementofChristtheLord(Mosiah3:19)

 Youalsohaveanothervoice.TheprophetMormoncallsthistheSpiritofChrist, Forbehold,theSpiritofChristisgiventoeveryman,thathemayknowgoodfromevil; wherefore,Ishowuntoyouthewaytojudge;foreverythingwhichinvitethtodogood,andto persuadetobelieveinChrist,issentforthbythepowerandgiftofChrist;whereforeyemay knowwithaperfectknowledgeitisofGod.(Moroni7:16) Thetroublingthingisthatboththesevoicesarepartofus.Itisinourverynaturetobothdoubtand believe,tohavefaithandbeskeptical. Thepowerandbeautyofidentifyingthesevoicesissothatweknowitwhenwehearit.Itsequally importanttoidentifytheSpiritofChristvoiceasitisthevoiceoftheNatualMan.Onesowecangive heedtoit.Theothersothatwecanignoreit. Apersonmayprofitbynoticingthefirstintimationofthespiritofrevelation;forinstance,when youfeelpureintelligenceflowingintoyou,itmaygiveyousuddenstrokesofideas,sothatby noticingit,youmayfinditfulfilledthesamedayorsoon;(i.e.)thosethingsthatwerepresented untoyourmindsbytheSpiritofGod,willcometopass;andthusbylearningtheSpiritofGod andunderstandingit,youmaygrowintotheprincipleofrevelation,untilyoubecomeperfectin ChristJesus.(JosephSmith(18051844),TeachingsofPresidentsoftheChurch:JosephSmith (2007),132.) Inabattleofthewits,theprimalnaturewillwineverytime.Justaskanyonewhostruggleswithan addition.Willpoweraloneisnotenoughtofighttheinstinctsofthenaturalman. FortheremainderofmytalkIwouldliketooffersomerealworldstrategiesfrommyownexperience thathavehelpedbringbalancetomyinnerselfandtherebyhelpinovercomingthenegativeinclinations ofthenaturalman.

1Physiology
PresidentMonsonsaid, Afriendlysmile,awarmhandclasp,asinceretestimonyoftruthcanliterallyliftlives,change humannature,andsaveprecioussouls.(PresidentThomasS.Monson,ToLearn,toDo,toBe, Ensign,Nov.2008,62.) Ourmindsandourbodiesareonecompletesystem,theyarenotseparatesystems.Whenwethink something,ourbodiesreacttothethoughtandviceversa.Haveyoueverexperimentedwithsmiling whenyouwerefeelingdiscouragedordown?Didyounoticethatifyoukeptitup,yourmoodlightened andimproved.Ourphysiology,thewayweholdourselves,speak,breathorstand,isintertwinedwith ourminds.Weareone.

PresidentBrighamYoungsaid, ItmattersnotwhetheryouorIfeellikepraying.Ifwedonotfeellikeit,weshouldpraytillwedo (TeachingsofPresidentsoftheChurch:BrighamYoung[1997],44). SeveralyearsagoIfoundmyselfinterribleemotionalturmoil.Idiscoveredthattheactofdoing pushups,justsimplymovingmybody,exercising,doingsomethingphysical,hadatherapeuticeffecton myemotions.Ithelpedmecopeandtoheal. Pictureinyourmindseye,themostconfidentpersonyouknow.Howtheycarrythemselves?Arethey tenseorrelaxedandcomfortableintheirownskin?Howdoesthispersonwalk,howdotheybreath. Pictureyourselfsittingwiththemhavingaconversation.Dotheylookyouintheeye,dotheylisten? Howdoestheirvoicesoundwhentheyspeak? Embracethesetraitsasyourown.Trythemonlikeabrandnewcomfortablejacket.Wheneveryoufeel yourselffeelingstuck,oroverwhelmed,orfeelinglikegivingintothenaturalman,changeyour physiology.Standtaller,smile.Andnoticehowyourmoodimprovesandyourconfidenceis strengthened. ElderJoeChristensensaid YourlevelofspiritualityisalsodirectlyrelatedtohowwellyoufilltheLordscommandmentsto BeofgoodcheerandLiftupyourheartandrejoice(D&C31:3).Howmanytimesinthe scripturesdidtheLordcommandustobeofgoodcheer?Hedidntsay,Beofgoodcheerif everythingisgoingwell,ifyouhaveenoughmoneytopayallyourbills,ifyourbiorhythmsare up,orwhatever.No.Forustobeofgoodcheerisacommandmentandnotmerelya suggestion.(TenIdeastoIncreaseYourSpirituality,ByElderJoeJ.ChristensenFromanaddress givenon23January1997atBYUHawaii.)

2Focus
ElderSterlingW.SilloftheFirstQuorumoftheSeventywrote, WhenGladstonewasaskedthesecretofhisbrilliantcareer,heansweredwithoneword: Concentration.Concentrationisachievedbylimitingthescope.Emersonsaid:Theone prudenceinlifeisconcentration;theoneevilisdissipation(TheCompleteWritingsofRalphWaldo Emerson,NewYork:Wm.H.Wise&Co.,1929,p.542).Jesuswaslimitingthescopewhenhecautionedus tokeepoureyesingle(seeD&C4:5).Asinglevisionshouldalsohaveanarrowfocus.Jesus proclaimedthissamephilosophywhenhesaid:Nomancanservetwomasters(Matt.6:24). (TheStraitGateByElderSterlingW.SilloftheFirstQuorumoftheSeventyJuly1980) http://lds.org/ensign/1980/07/thestraitgate?lang=eng&query=single+mindedness Balancerequiresfocus.Itsamazingwhatwecanaccomplishiswesimplyfocusoureffortsonasingle task,notpermittingdistractions.Thisisanecessaryskillinourdaywhensomanythingscompetefor ourattention.Focusingourattentiononaconstructivegoalhastheeffectofdrowningoutthevoiceof resistancefromthenaturalman.

3Language
WhenGodspoketoMosesonSianihesaid,IamthatIam,whichmeans,Iamthecreator. WhenChristwalkedthedustypathsofJerusalemandtaught,Notthatwhichgoethintothemouth defilethaman;butthatwhichcomethoutofthemouth,thisdefilethaman.(Matt15:11),Ibelieve thathemeantthatthewordsweusearetoolsofcreation. Whenwespeakthelanguageofthenaturalmanandsaythingslike,Iamsostupid,orImjustnot goodatthat,or,(likeIhaveheardoneofmydaughtersayonfewoccasions),Iamabadperson, whatarewecreating? Thelanguageweusehaspowertochangeus.Ithaspowertouplift.Choosingpositivelanguagecanhelp uscombatthenegativeresistancewereceivefromthenaturalman.

InConclusion,notesonthePoweroftheAtonement
WehavewovenintotheveryfibersofourDNAthesolutiontoeveryproblemwewilleverfaceinlife. TheAtonementofJesusChristhaspowertochangeus. InanEnsignarticletitledABalancedLife,BrentL.Topwrites, ItisnotasignofweaknesstoavailourselvesoftheAtonement.Rather,itshowscourage,faith, andgratitude.TheAtonementallowsusnotonlytorepentofsinbutalsotoreceivean outpouringoftheSaviorsgrace,whichstrengthensuswhenwesimplydonothavethepowerto overcomeourhumanweaknesses.ItallowstheSaviortoshareourburdensandcompensatefor ourmanyinadequacies(seeMatt.11:2830;Ether12:27).(ABalancedLife,BrentL.Top,Ensign Apr2005) DavidO.McKay: Mansearthlyexistenceisbutatestastowhetherhewillconcentratehisefforts,hismind,his soul,uponthingswhichcontributetothecomfortandgratificationofhisphysicalnature,or whetherhewillmakeashislifespursuittheacquisitionofspiritualqualities.(Teachingsof PresidentsoftheChurch:DavidO.McKay,2003Chapter2:TheDualNatureofMan) http://lds.org/manual/teachingsdavidomckay/chapter2?lang=eng&query=dual+nature+man KeeptheoilinyourspoonwhileyouenjoytherichnessoflifeGodhastooffer,ismyprayer,inthe nameofJesusChrist,Amen.