A prompt from 13 Steps to Awakening:

Homework

• Find all the areas in your life that are out of balance where you paid less than what you received (and not just in terms of money). Now find the duality that they are a part of to figure out what you need to do to balance the other side of the equation. Discuss how you are going to follow the Law of Balance once you finish the course and how you will know if it is working in your life.

This is a difficult, though intriguing, assignment. I understand what Alex means by the law of balance, or at least I think I do. But I have consciously tried to avoid putting things in my life on a scale to measure them. To do so feels as though I assume others are out to cheat me or that I am out to get more than I deserve. Ignoring the balance makes it possible for me to live as though I do not care.

In fact, lessons from my childhood emphasized the importance of doing more for others than others do for me. This is most easily accomplished by not taking credit for what I do or hiding my part in something from those who benefit. But after reading the lesson connected with the law of balance, I can see that even this in fact ensures my life is out of balance, even if my objective is not self-centered.

In my spiritual life, I know that I have already received the gift of grace, a gift I do not deserve. And in response, I offer the gifts I can give–my time, my talents, and my treasures–through my church as well as through charities and civil society organizations for the betterment of society in general. I do not expect anything in return, though I almost always discover my gifts return to me in unexpected ways through the friendships formed with others in my church or other organizations. I believe these actions and observations keep my life in balance.

In my personal life, I expect the best from those around me, in large part because I know I will likely never receive more than I expect. But if others react to me with less enthusiasm, less good will, or less generosity, I try not to behave as though I am a mirror, reflecting back what I received. I prefer to react as though I am a lamp, shining light on what is hidden from view. Time after time I learn that when I feel annoyed, there is usually something I misunderstood or never knew at all that, once revealed, takes away my reason for being annoyed. So long as I can keep that in mind, I can keep my mind and heart open to my surroundings and everyone in it.

The above prompt is part of the fourth of 13 free lessons, developed by Alex Moses, Life Strategist, available on the A Life Answers website, shared with his permission.