Everything from self-cultivation practices to physical conditioning to relationships to physical structures needs maintenance to keep the foundation strong. In self cultivation, or personal growth, if we do not continually practice the basic foundations, learning to be aware and direct our thoughts and emotions, old habits and programming will creep back. Any so-called advanced practices (like manifestation practices) will not have the desired outcome we attempt to achieve. How can you meditate on a specific outcome if you can’t focus your mind on that outcome?
When working to achieve a certain physical condition, if we do not work towards that condition on a regular basis it will either be a very long road or we may never achieve it. Don’t expect to be able to run a marathon if all you do is run 1 mile once a month.
In a relationship if you work to build trust and open communication but overtime let those things go, start hiding things from your partner, lying to them, or do not continue to work on keeping the intimacy strong, then that basic foundation starts to break down. If you do not continue to keep up the foundation it will disintegrate and overtime, there goes the relationship.
Even physical creations need maintenance. Once great buildings are now just ruins, because the basic maintenance was not kept up. You can simply drive a car and fill it with gas, but if you do not take it in for an oil change and other maintenance it will not last nearly as long as it could with the regular maintenance. Constant work is needed to maintain that foundation, but you also have to remember to take time to enjoy that which you have created and maintained.
Balance is key, after all if you ever do is maintain and you never enjoy what it is that you are maintaining eventually you will get tired and worn out and let go of that object. You must learn to maintain and enjoy. If we take this in physical terms you can work out daily, but if all you ever do is work out whether it’s running, tennis, or whatever activity it might be for you, eventually your body will break down. You must not only allow for recovery time but also put work into the recovery phase. On the flipside if you allow for too much recovery, then you start to lose the conditioning that you’ve worked so hard for. We need to learn when it’s time to continue working and when it’s time to recover to create that balance, and learn to enjoy whichever phase of the process you are in. How can you have fun doing an activity if you don’t make doing the activity fun?
Nothing is ever at a standstill. We are either growing or decaying. Even if you stand perfectly still you are on a planet that is moving at approximately 66,000 miles an hour. Your heart is pumping blood constantly through your veins etc. Even in death, your body is constantly breaking down, sometimes at a higher rate than others. The amount of growth you are able to achieve is very dependent on how strong the foundation is that you are able to build and keep strong. To keep it strong, you must maintain it and keep up with the basics that create the foundations.
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