"What I dream of is an art of balance" - Henri Matisse

Matisse said “what I dream of is an art of balance”. I love that.  Who doesn’t seek harmony, in their relationships, home, families and workplaces?  More importantly, we look for it inside ourselves.  The sentiment, it seems, is as old as humankind.  Even in ancient Greece, Euripides was writing with a sigh, “there are times when life’s equilibrium is just out of kilter”.  Equilibrium often seems elusive, a mirage that we may reach one day, some time, and if only.  We spend time pinning and re-pinning shapes to the wall, much like Matisse’s assistants, working out actions to take, risks to avoid and bold decisions to make. In all this desire for harmony, something else is important to remember. The rough seas can also give us the unexpected delights of excitement, creativity, and intense bouts of energy.  When the equilibrium is out of kilter, there is the chance to experiment, transform, reinvent, and simply experience the sheer adrenaline rush of life.  Cancer must have knocked Matisse for six.  Yet, out of it he created a new art form.   Like Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”.Alain de Botton, a Swiss author, says he writes philosophy for everyday life.  Maybe his take on the issue of balance is a tonic to take heart from. He says, “There is no such thing as work-life balance.  Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life.”