Jia Wong
As a child, Sundays were always a treat. I would love to claim this because of wholesome reasons, like seeing my friends at church, or to worship God, or because my family spent the day together.
But the reality? I loved Sundays because most of the time, we would go for DIM SUM.
The restaurant we frequented had a thinning red carpet and shouting staff (if you know, you know), but I didn’t care. If we had the right number of people, it meant one thing: the dragon table!
Alright, it wasn’t called that, but my childish mind thought it was the coolest name ever, and I was very proud of my presumed creativity.
Like many Chinese restaurants, the decor was decidedly East Asian, including a giant wall- mounted giant 3D model depicting a golden dragon and phoenix encircling each other.
I always made a beeline to sit in front of that wall in between the dragon and phoenix-like a little Empress. If you are familiar with Chinese culture, you might understand what they represented: yin and yang, a steady balance in life, and prosperity.
As children, we don’t understand the meaning of balance, but as we get older, it’s something we begin to appreciate, or even crave.
‘Finding the right balance’ seems to be an easy buzzword that gets thrown around. Find the right balance between your social life and your working life, the right balance between hard work and relaxation, or the right balance to juggle your mental health and looking after others.
The constant chasing of balance in our lives easily leads to stress and anxiety building up, and it’s no wonder many of us end up feeling more burnt out than ever.
The questions we need to ask ourselves are what does balance in our lives mean and what does it look like? How do we obtain it?
The key is not to rush into everything at once, but to make small adjustments over time and determine what works for you- everyone has their equilibrium.
And whilst we can focus on maintaining our physical and immediate priorities, the Bible in Psalm 94:17-19 gives us all the answers we need already:
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,
Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
Your consolation brought me joy.
