E=MC2

A wise mother bestowed upon her daughter a pearl of wisdom, “You have to find your own equation in life.” The pearl, encased in love and freedom, guided the daughter as she danced through life unencumbered by the equations of others.

The daughter’s mother wasn’t talking about quadratic or cubic equations; she was referring to the human equation. Nevertheless, all equations have basic principles pertaining to life as much as to math. For those of us without a mathematical bent we can head directly to the root of what concerns us.

Equations have four properties that relate to the human condition. First, they are statements asserting the equality of two things; second, identity lies at the core of this state; third, equations are essentially a scale on which questions and problems can be weighed; and fourth, they consist of constants and variables. In simple terms, for us this means balancing the endless variables in life so that the solution is always equivalent to who we truly are.

Solving this master equation is our principal purpose in life. Einstein claimed, “… an equation is forever.” Since we have our entire lifetime to wrestle with it, often it does feel like forever!

We begin life with one constant—our spirit. This essence of who we are is the vital part of our equation. Everything else is a complexity of variables—the wildcards of the unpredictable that are dealt with great regularity. The aim of the exercise isn’t to ward off the variables; instead, it’s to filter them through astutely wise questions. The mastery of our equation depends on the questions we dare to ask ourselves.

Don’t get caught up on the hard numbers. Remember to include imaginary ones in your equation so that you can calculate all kinds of things which cannot be imagined without!