Bringing Moderation Back into the Equation

On February 8th I left land and I hurried aboard the Carnival Destiny cruise ship. I must admit that I was eager to partake in everything the crew had to offer--after all, I paid for it and I was determined to get my money's worth. However, like every other experience I've been blessed to see in my short life, this cruise opened up my eyes to so many things. The first issue that I must talk about is the proliferating culture of "imbalanced living".

On the Carnival Destiny one could eat all one can put in one's mouth. There are nine restaurants on board, including a 24 hour pizzeria, ice cream station, coffee and tea station and not to mention...24 hr FREE room service. On the Destiny you can party and drink all night long...and the casino won't close until you want it to. There's non stop fun but if you want you can sleep all day long! On the destiny you can do anything you want as much as you desire to! This, we call paradise, this we call fantasy, this we call good living. When did imbalanced living become the dream?

It's becoming increasingly evident that the world is severely imbalanced, however we must pay attention to the fact that this attribute is in no way natural. Looking externally, it is clear as day that there are wealth gaps globally and most notably, the average American's way of life (which has become the standard to judge all other cultures) leaves the word "moderation" out of the equation.

Furthermore, it is no surprise that human beings--living entities who are in essence; minute parts of this ecosystem, mere pieces of a mosaic, are affected by external imbalances and vice versa. The question is, how can we bring moderation back into the equation?

Initially, we must recognize that sometimes, change comes from the bottom up. With that said, individuals must make some conscious decisions to restore internal equilibrium. After all, as the minute parts of the system alters itself, so too will the bigger picture in time.

When was the last time you sat down and thought about how imbalanced your way of life has become as you've gotten older? How much food do you waste? Or maybe you have a problem with prioritizing. What about your time management skills? Are you frugal? How do you spend your money and what things are "ok" for you to spend your money on? With that said, what does your closet look like? Do you give to any charitable organizations? Why not start your own?

Indeed, there are those people who find themselves weary with life, constantly troubled and confused since they believe with every part of their being that they should have peace of mind. Why? Only because they're continually doing good for others and not for once do they do things for themselves. What we must recognize is that being selfless is not the way either--this is also a case of an imbalanced lifestyle.

Balancing the equation called "a healthy lifestyle" where we can truly be happy, we must bring moderation back into the picture. Instability is an evil that can subtly creep into your life. It may take just one more beer, one more cigarette, one more snack added to your daily intake of food to usher in a new beginning of unhealthy lifestyle. Be it mentally, physically or emotionally.

So let's eat, drink, enjoy life, sleep and all other parts of life moderately. I'm not perfect and I too must embrace this notion, but maybe you can start soon and invite your friends to do the same. After all, when you have someone who encourages you when you falter it's easier to attain the ultimate goal. Let's start a movement... a movement that will bring equilibrium.

Speak the truth and accept the truth in love.