The main difference between the living and non-living is motion.
Whether it be visible, physical motion, or invisible, mental motion.
If we acknowledge this to be true, it would be fair to say that the more motion we experience, the more of life we live.
Conversely, it would also be fair to say that our minds’ and bodies’ natural instinct to protect itself from losing it’s life will in effect, try to prevent excessive motion.
It’s all a matter of which side of life we are more inclined to – the live side, or the (ironically) dead side of life.
Here’s an example of the concept above taking place:
Wearing my skis, I awkwardly step off the ski lift. I fall down. I think whether I really want to do this. I pick myself up with difficulty, and waddle my way to the edge of the hill. My heart pounds. I mentally prepare myself for the speed I know I will be experiencing. I think again about whether I am really doing this. I decide to go down the hill, and not regret if I break both legs. Having said that, I tell myself to stabilize myself, not to panic, and lean/turn with enough force at the bottom of the hill so I stop. In other words, all the things I need to do to ski safely. I take the first step, and I begin sliding slowly. I pick up speed quickly, and soon everything is a blur. The wind blowing against me reminds me of the sound a plane makes when it is taking off. My mind, confused and afraid that I might actually take off, instinctively tells my body to fall over (which will stop the excessive motion).
There are 2 possibilities at this juncture.
1. I fall over and slide to a stop. Though my mind calms down almost immediately, another thought comes in just as fast – frustration and disappointment, inadequacy.
2. I deliberately focus on the snow, stabilizing myself, and telling myself that I won’t take off. (This will change when I take on jumps and cliffs..) I think about my two feet in firm contact with the ground, and as I reach the bottom of the hill, I lean hard to my left and put force on my left foot to turn against the snow, coming to an effective stop. The rush of having been through “excessive motion” is evident; the adrenaline, the heightened heart rate, the overall euphoric feeling that envelopes the body and mind after having achieved something.
We can further combine the theory of excessive motion with the theory of life balance. We could then say that in order to live a balanced life, the amount of static must equal the amount of dynamic. In other words, we must experience (physical and/or mental) motion in a measure so that it equals our lack of (physical and/or) motion, and vice versa. Doing otherwise will result in an unbalanced body, mind, and therefore, life.
Change is motion. To deny change is to deny motion, and therefore life.
Embrace change; embrace life.
..can save many things: relationships, money, feelings, lives.
