Restoring Balance

Life can be seen as a dance between two poles, such as courage and fear. Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, who founded the school of analytical psychology, believed that “We have two poles in us: fear and trust, aggression and love, weakness and power.”[1]  We keep moving between these poles depending on our life experiences and how we handle them. Though at times we can get fixated on only one pole resulting in imbalance in our lives. 

Fixating on one pole, for example, on fear, can make life a continuous struggle. Fear can express itself in thoughts such as, “I cannot do it. What if I fail? What will others think of me? I am making a fool of myself.” Such thoughts can stop us from trying something new, doing things we are capable of, and achieving our full potential. Fear influences our behavior. We can isolate ourselves from people and situations that can add to our happiness and learning. 

So, what can we do? One way to handle fixation on one pole is by introducing the other pole to ourselves.[2] We could use a verse from our scripture[3] or a wisdom saying from our culture. For instance, Psalm 118 says, “With the Lord on my side, I do not fear.” Or tell our fear, “Hey Fear, fear me,” or, “My trust is stronger than fear.” Verses such as these will not simply drive away fear instantly. However, what can happen is we will begin to get in touch with the trust that is hidden within us.[4] By connecting to the trust within, we can gradually become conscious of it and allow it to grow. As our trust grows stronger, fear will dissipate. The trust within us is capable of fighting and defeating fear. Thus, balance can be restored in our lives. 

Let us check ourselves when we fixate on one pole and awaken the opposite pole within by using a verse from scripture or from culture.  

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[1] Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (p. 92).

[2] Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (p. 93).

[3] Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (p. 93).

[4] Gruen, A. (1999). Heaven begins within you. A Crossroad Book (p. 93).