by Michael Maciel

Sometimes, we get out of balance in order to achieve a greater balance. And sometimes we sacrifice balance by reaching past our limits to achieve a larger goal. If balance is being centered, then imbalance is a stretch, a risk—we extend ourselves beyond the comfort zone of being centered so that we might reach a higher center.

There are many ways to induce an artificial imbalance. For instance, fasting—no one would call fasting balanced. It is extreme. The body needs to eat and we prevent it from eating. Doesn’t sound very balanced to me. But by forcing one end of the scales, we cause the buildup of potential energy, energy that can then be used for other purposes.

Hydroelectric dams are like that. Would you call them balanced? All that water built up behind a massive wall. And yet one such dam can power an entire city. Or what about a gymnast clutching a high bar? Is flinging himself round and round the bar balanced? If he were to let go at the wrong time, he would fly off into the air. But he harnesses the imbalance, and it enables him to do amazing feats.

Vacuums are another form of imbalance. Prayer is the art of creating a vacuum. It is stretching the gap between reality and its potential. When the tension of the gap becomes too great, one will be realized and the other will be altered.

Here’s the point:

If you are always seeking balance, you cannot be creative. God creates. That’s why there is so much imbalance in the world. Out of imbalance much can be created, and he or she who masters imbalance is the most creative of all.