Learning to Live with the Swing

I’m seeing a theme emerge in my life and in the lives of my clients.

There are two poles we’re constantly moving between.

On one side, joy, possibility, and ease.

On the other, pain, suffering, and sometimes even despair.

We want the first.

We resist the second.

And sometimes, when we’re at either end, we convince ourselves that this is where we’ll stay.

But life doesn’t work that way.

Life is a pendulum, and there’s no keeping it from swinging.

The goal isn’t to stop the swing. That’s impossible.

I think it’s learning how to manage the tension.

To enjoy the highs without needing them to last.

To experience the lows without believing they’ll last.

To stay grounded in what is, knowing that neither joy nor pain tells the whole story.

Life is a constant push and pull.

Just like the tides.

They come in. They go out. We don’t question either one. We just let them roll.

P.S. That’s my brother Matt playing Fisher’s Island Golf Club. Man, I hope the tide brings me an opportunity to play there someday. 😂