98.6 - We need to be in balance

Last week as I was mentoring a student and parent about college and career readiness I was asked; “What is the most important thing I have learned over the years. “ I did not have to think long because it is something I learned in 1979 and really began to understand as I lived it since then is that everything belongs to a system and in order for that system to be effective and efficient it must be in balance.

Too much or too little of anything is not good. It’s like the name of a song by Keith in the 1960s called “98.6” because that is science calls the number that indicates our most important system in life is Normal.

When we have disruptions to the norm we have a negative consequence. For example – think about when you have had or when others have had too much or too little of anything:

•   Too much Love or too much Hate
•  Too Cold or Too Hot
• Too Black or too White or too Brown or too Yellow or too Red
• Too much Christian or Too much Muslim (See first bullet)
• Too much education or not enough education = no common sense
• Too much Water or too little Water
•  Too much Sun or not enough Sun
• Too many Rules or not enough Rules
•  Too much Government or not enough Government
• Too much knowledge = idiot or too little knowledge = idiot

I could go on and on but the results are always the same. Balance and interdependencies are the keys to all things in systems (i.e. life) and when it is interrupted or altered a negative result will occur.

When we get out of balance we look to medicine, religion, faith, family and friends and other experts to bring us back in line. What we need is a “98.6” in all aspects of our lives so we can predict and prevent out of balance in our lives.

As Keith sang in 1967 “Hey, 98.6, it's good to have you back again”

SONGWRITERS:
FISCHOFF, GEORGE / POWERS, TONY