On Gravity and Levity (and Everything In Between)

There’s an ongoing pull between gravity and levity in each of our lives. Gravity pulls us down, keeps our feet firmly rooted to the ground.  It ensures we are connected with our families, communities and support networks. Gravity supports our abilities to be realistic and think seriously about our lives and our daily choices. It helps us stay grounded in times of upheaval, when life’s stresses become overwhelming. And of course, gravity helps us cocoon inwards at times of sorrow and grief.

Levity, on the other hand, lifts us up. It helps us walk lightly on the earth.  Levity help us brighten other people’s days with our energy and positive outlook. It presents itself in those moments of deep belly laughter, the kind that erupts out of your eyes when something hilarious just cannot be contained. Levity lifts our heads into the clouds so we can dream about all of the amazing possibilities ahead of us. It helps us move out of our comfort zones to meet new people, have new experiences and positively impact other people’s lives. And importantly, levity helps us experience gratitude – to look at our lives through rose-coloured glasses so we can focus on the goodness of people and of life.

The trick is to find a way to effectively navigate these two important forces in our lives – to flourish in the tension between gravity and levity. At times we’ll be tethered more closely to the ground and we’ll need to draw on our inner strength and family support to navigate life’s stresses. And at other moments, we’ll be floating with our head up in the sky, pondering the wonderful and exciting opportunities ahead of us. Throughout our lives, we’ll continue to shift along this continuum between gravity and levity.

So as you think about where you are right now, consider whether you could add more levity to your life (I know I could!). Or consider whether you might release the tight grip you have on your dreams and ground yourself more solidly in your family and community.

Like an astronaut gracefully walking along the surface of the moon, let’s aspire to navigate this world and this life with a beautiful balance between gravity and levity.

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