In Taoism, we talk about balance as the state of being from which all other things begin.

Nonbeing gives birth to the oneness. The oneness gives birth to yin and yang. Yin and Yang give birth to heaven, earth, and beings. Heaven, earth, and beings give birth to everything in existence. – Daodejing, Chapter 42 (Walker).

In most translations, “nonbeing” is interchangeable with Tao.  The oneness would be “being”.  Then from being comes the forces, and from the forces comes life, matter, etc.  Finally, everything else comes from those.

Existing, or “being” is the central state from which yin and yang spawn.  Balance is being.

If you set a ball on a level table it will remain there.  It is in balance with all the forces around it.  If you push the ball, or move the table, the ball will roll.  This movement is a natural flow towards a state of balance.  We don’t need to program the ball with special instructions.  We don’t have to send it to training seminars.  It simply rolls directly to where it can be at balance with its surroundings.

For us, balance takes on many facets.  After all, we’re slightly more complicated than a ball on a table.   However the natural way is still to move towards balance by default.  We don’t have to struggle.  In fact, our actions can actually block the natural return to an even state.

Balance is not the result of effort, but rather the lack of it.

We will not always find ourselves in sync with nature.  We will not always be balanced.  But the chances are, we can return back to that base by simply letting go.  Be the ball that rolls from the table and comes to rest on the floor.  This is not the same as “giving up” or “not moving”.  The ball rolls.  It moves as needed.  It lets the course of things be its guide.

We can do the same.