As I look around me lately and reflect on my life as well as the many conversations I participate in daily with others – there is one word that I have been hearing constantly – silently in the background, temperance. I see it everywhere, I feel it and I hear it in my thoughts. So of course, I know the signs of repetition when I see it. I then decide to slow down and listen inwardly. Today I share with you a little bit of what I have digested.

For me, I am definitely beginning to appreciate what it means to have temperance. Don’t get me wrong, as a single mother of five children there is hardly any room for overindulgences (believe it or not) of the typical kind or of any kind for that matter. Perhaps in some ways I could be a wee-bit more indulging (time wise) to myself. However, what I have since learned is that overindulgence can be in non-typical ways in general. Wasting time and energy on the wrong things or people is one example.  Being wasteful on valuable resources and with money as a whole is another.   One doesn’t have to be a shopaholic, vanity oriented, material driven, workaholic, substance abusing person either to learn to master temperance. Although these are good examples of why someone like this should.  On the contrary, anyone who desires balance can really benefit from this very spiritual and rewarding everyday tool.

Time is one my learning curves and temperance with it across the board is my fun challenge. It certainly seems like it’s not enough of it to go around. Believe me, I am working on my perception of this.  Very soon I expect to enjoy spending that time I deserve doing whatever I desire.  On the other hand I could say that temperance is a lesson but then again for some of us, we have learned it but simply aren’t practicing it effectively as often as we should. I certainly have “learned” that once you acquire a new skill or something in general doesn’t mean you will act on that knowledge all the time or at all in some cases. A very costly lesson or two it has been for me in this regard (rolling my eyes as I write this). So, it behooves us all to LEARN, MASTER and USE this spiritual tool on the regular.

What does it mean to temper? It means you incorporate, add to something to bring balance or in some cases the blending of two extremes or opposites in my view. Think about it from a broader perspective for a minute. There is indeed mastery at work in the latter. Sometimes we think that two extremely opposites are likely not to blend or mix. BUT if balanced going in and then tempered they form a synergy that makes the combination even more powerful as a whole. This is what many people seek in a Life Partner. We are all here to evolve, grow and learn from one another. Certainly some of us are on one extreme end of the fence and some on the other. Yet, we are learning to co-create, co-exist, interact, accept, learn from, blend and evolve – tempering our individual and uniqueness of our perspectives, life experiences, soul experiences and many other things into our consciousness to do so. We are a living embodiment of Temperance in our spiritual evolvement at its best in this perspective. Unfortunately, we often fail to utilize this tool to maintain balance in our everyday lives and choices.

The absence of temperance can easily lead to a negative extreme which absolutely leads to a lack of control and HEAR ME WHEN I SAY in some cases a clear desire – to have no self-control. It amazes me when some folk will do something very hurtful and harmful to another – KNOWING full well what they are doing and say, “I couldn’t help myself”. Believe me, I look at people’s spirit and inner natures all the time and in most cases of this example – I am not referring to those who are struggling with chemical dependencies or those of an enabled emotional/mental nature. I am referring to those who CHOOSE to act in this regard their nature and desire is simply because they can. In some cases, this extreme can and often does lead to death. And not always death in the physical sense. Death can take place in one’s perception of their reality from a negative to a positive. In this sense, that side of self or Ego dies to make way for the new and balanced self. This is a good thing if we are speaking of letting go of what doesn’t work because it can be harmful and unhealthy for you.

Oh yes, we are experiencing many deaths at this time to give birth to the balanced and the new. We are re-examing what is important and building a foundation of what is real and lasting and most of all adds positively to our well-being. Out with greed and hoarding, vanity and superficial because we all know deep down it doesn’t fill us up. It’s like empty calories but in a more harmful way in the long run. Our old ways must die, our old ways of experiencing the extremes can’t stand on its own any longer – which has been a foundation of uncertainty and global unsustainability. But there is always choice, human will and action on our parts to lend change for the better. On the positive side of these, when living a life of temperance you will experience harmony and balance at a minimum. There is fairness, diplomacy and abundance for starters. There is tolerance, understanding, clarity and patience. We can all benefit now from this one tool of mastery.

So I ask you as I am often found asking myself lately – Are you exercising temperance in your life? If not, today is a good day to start or perhaps today is your first day to get back up and brush your knees off and try again. No matter where you are – you can choose to act on temperance at any time. In the end the benefits far outweighs your fear of its conformity.

Our world as we know it is undergoing major changes and has been for a long time. What we now physically see is a reflection of what we have been spiritually and energetically expressing within – for a very long time – an absence of Temperance. Each of us is intertwined, energetically from a micro level to the macro level – contributing to the whole of our world and what we see today. What we feel, think, and eventually do always takes place first energetically in spirit (within) and then plays out energetically in the physical world. Our environment is asking for temperance from each of us. Consider this priceless and powerful ally in making your world a more balanced place.