It is easiest to walk to a goal. To walk, we need motion. As discussed in "Forgive and Strict," there is an amount of strength and flexibility to create movement. We are able to stand without flexibility. We are able create motion without strength. Either, without balance, creates unfavorable consequences when interacting with the world.
People focus on push and pull. Push and pull, or stirring the pot needs a concise motion working with another person and making adjustments to work properly. If one person only does exactly that movement, without considering how the other person is moving, they become unbalanced and fall over. When a person is overly flexible, only reacts to the other person, it becomes difficult to maintain motion. Hands release or lose momentum. They must continually restart the motion.
In life, a person who is overly rigid is unable to deflect another person's attack or unseen event. They must use flexibility to defend themselves. If walking across stones in a lake, they are unable to adjust to rock shaking beneath their feet. They chose a stone and must balance or fall in to the lake.
A person who is overly flexible has motion. They can wiggle, spin or fall to the ground. They are able to create motion through flexing muscles. They must look up occasionally to see where they are going. Without some type of rational order, they bump into walls and hit tables. It is a lot of effort to go from the coach to the kitchen. They probably will not make it to kitchen.
There are many combinations of strength and flexibility. When falling into a river, it is good to make your body rigid to float to the top. If the water is fast, the water guides you away from sharp rocks. In order to truly be out-of-danger, a person must swim to shore. There is a simultaneous motion of rigidity and flexibility. Rigidness to remain floating. Flexibility when going with the flow of water.
There are other arenas of strength and flexibility in life. Several are internal. Many people are in debt and are owed money. We are foolish when thinking everything will happen as we want it to happen.
Rigidness represent goals, ethics and morals. Flexibility represents compromise by redesigning plans when recognizing obstacles.
An example of this is wanting to pay bills. There are many methods to pay bills. We do not make enough money to pay everything, give to charity and take care of ourselves.
I hear people saying that everyone should be able to give to charity. This is not true. If someone has contractual obligation to pay rent and utilities to go to work to continue to live life, they have obstacles. People give to charity when having excess. If they are unable to pay the electric bill, without going to charity, they do not have to give to charity. Even if barely paying bills and food, they do not have to give to charity. The ideal is you are able to give to charity, instead of, paying for one pizza. They cannot afford pizza or buying a pizza in the only incentive for working.
It is time to become flexible. Learn how to cook or reduce food costs buy shopping at a grocery store. They already cook. It is sometimes best to not be judgmental. It is alright to give advice.
Someone went into a great deal of debt. They were working for a better future. Having to rely on family and having previous debts, they owe a lot.
Their first plan was to pay back family. There Family is always nice to them and helpful when trying to make a better future. When looking over debts, they realize they are much more proactive in not owing Friends. Their Family helped them more than anyone. They should want to protect this relationship.
They will make enormous payments to Family. It will be gregarious to make amends. They call the Creditors they owe. Creditors do not accept smaller fifty dollar amounts. They want a lot of money. After finding a job, they do not earn much money.
They will pay their Family. Now, it takes time to make payments. They know it is important, but they cannot afford it.
The goal makes a path. There are adjustments to obstacles that effect the outcome.
They could remain rigid. They could try paying back their Family. Creditors will garnish their checks. They still have less money for paying off debts and. They might not have enough money to go to work. If that happens, they do not have a job.
They could comply with the Creditors and make payments to Family. They do not have enough money to go to work, so they are still borrowing more money from Family and looking for other loans. It is livable, yet if losing their job, only changed time limits on paying back debts. It is only shifting around what was there, but they might keep their job long enough to make more money.
There is also the option declaring bankruptcy. They are no longer obligated to pay Creditors and are many have money to spend on themselves. They did not try to succeed at paying debts. They did not build strength. When living alone, they are able to pay rent. Maybe not. It was easier to stop trying; therefore, they miss a lot of work and frequently lose their job.
Taxes are higher. There is more government interference, because people do not feel obligated to pay Creditors. They can write-it-off. Creditors restrict on loans. When needing a loan, they are between jobs. No one gives them a loan. They will have what they have one day. What do they have?
Motion is important. We give goodwill and get goodwill. We go from standing to walking. With every step, we must bend our knees and ankles to move forward. We strengthen our legs beneath us and balance to begin the process of taking another step.
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