Leverage the center of gravity

In the world of psychics, the center of gravity is an imaginary point in a body of matter where the total weight of the body is concentrated.

It’s where the distribution of weight is equal in all directions.

Our football coach used to talk about keeping our center of gravity low during plays, bending our knees and keeping our head and chest over the ball. This form helped us adjust our position and direction and speed at moment’s notice.

He would always tell us during practice, low man wins. The moment you stand up straight, the other guy will clean your clock.

Talk about a mistake you only have to make once. Getting clipped from behind by a three hundred pound lineman has a way of burning that principle into your brain.

But what about other uses for the term? How can we leverage the center of gravity principle as a way to understand and improve our own lives? It all depends on the framing. Because our center of gravity is a source of strength and balance in our lives. It’s this thing, practice or idea that is the pivotal focus within a larger entity. This characteristic, capability, or locality, from which we derives freedom of action, is the hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends.

I have a friend who recently started an exciting cooking challenge. She has to make one hundred recopies in one hundred days. When asked what prompted her to embark on such an intense journey, she said, I needed another center of gravity in my life besides work and family.

The cooking project provided her with a meaningful and focused activity that served as a point of stability in her already full life. Something that gave her a sense of purpose and accomplishment beyond her usual daily routine.

My friend had a good attitude about it. She joked, look, do I really want to be baking vegetarian tamales at eleven o’clock at night, knowing full well that my children are probably not going to eat them? Not really. But the cooking project grounds and aligns me.

I admire my friend’s discipline, but more importantly, her faith. She clearly trusts the this practice of cooking to pay real dividends, even if they’re not visible to the naked eye, and even if she is the sole recipient.