Excess

"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom; for we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough." William Blake.

Often, what Blake said is true. But he should have been a bit more careful in how he said it. His statement is a bit ... excessive.

The Oracle at Delphi, the holiest spot in ancient Greece, had two commands for wise living inscribed in marble to greet all visitors.

The first command was "Know Yourself." The second was "Nothing in Excess."

I long thought these were just two important but unrelated recommendations. But now I understand more deeply. You can't really know yourself unless you know what counts as excessive for you, in any area. And you can't know what's excessive for you unless you know yourself. These are deeply intertwined imperatives.

I wish William Blake had been more cautious in his often quoted statement about excess. The road of excess doesn't always lead to the palace of wisdom, but it can. It can also lead to the mortuary, or to a dark cave of chronic stress, or else to what my mother, and many mothers of her generation used to call "the poor house." It can lead to the edge of a cliff or to another unexpected dead end. It enlightens only those who are sufficiently aware that they have crossed a line, and need to back up.

We indeed never know our limits until we attempt to pass beyond them. And, to the wise, the experience is enough to give rise to a sense of what is ... enough. One year, I gave talks in 93 cities. That, I found out, was for me far too much. And I cut back on my schedule right away. The decision was a wise one, and brought me immense benefits.

Experience can be a great teacher, if we're alert students.

Is there any excess in your life right now? Be honest about it. Come on, really.

Ask yourself whether there is anything you need to do to back up a little and correct course.

Today.

Energy is Eternal Delight

"Energy is eternal delight." William Blake.

Printer, painter, poet and mystic, William Blake knew what he was talking about. Samuel Smiles once praised energy and described its place in life like this: “It is energy - the central element of which is will - that produces the miracle of enthusiasm in all ages. Everywhere it is the mainspring of what is called force of character, and the sustaining power of all great action.”

Do you have that experience of eternal delight that Blake refers to, the motivating enthusiasm that Smiles so values?  If the answer is "no" or "rarely" then you should ask yourself some questions.

Are you well rested? Do you eat right? Do you exercize every day? Do you meditate or pray? Those are what philosophers call facilitating but not sufficient conditions for that inner magic that moves the world. The most important ingredient is a cause to believe in. Deeply.

Are you doing something you really believe in? If not, why not? Find a way to get a big picture for your work. Connect it to the meaning of life. Connect it to something noble. Or change what you do to something you can view in this way. Then you’ll experience the energy that's always at the heart of great endeavors. 

So get some rest. Eat right. Move around. Calm your spirit. And believe. Then surf on the good energy that can flow though you. 

Today.

Action! Action! Action!

He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence. William Blake

The great Greek orator Demosthenes once was asked to specify the three most fundamental elements of his art. He replied “Action! Action! Action!” If I had to pick the single most important quality of highly successful people today, I might say the same thing.

Planning is important in human life, but action is even more vital. I know high achievers who consider it the essence of their straetegy to be always moving forward, taking the intitiative, taking some chances, making things happen. Aristotle believed that we all learn by doing. Are you dreaming of the future you want, or are you doing something about it? Follow Demosthenes’ advice and take action on something you’ve been thinking about. And learn.

Today.