Are these at opposite ends of the spectrum? If the ability to let go of attachments – attachments to outcomes, attachments to things – is the mark of a good Buddhist, then what does it mean to be dogged in your pursuit of a goal? Does tenacity, by definition, place you off balance?

What is balance? When is it wiser to hold when everyone around you is telling you to let go? When is it better to fold and move on, especially if everyone around you is telling you to stick it out?

Whether we talk about achieving work/life balance, head/heart balance, or just trying to balance our checkbook, there’s a tension between our hopes for the future and our ability to enjoy today. What will it cost us in the future if we defer action today? What will it cost us in the present to invest our precious resources in the hope of a future benefit? What will we sacrifice to achieve an outcome? And, just as importantly, what won’t we sacrifice in pursuit of an outcome? What things about our nature and our character do we deem non-negotiable?

At what point does the wonderful quality of tenacity need to be tempered with flexibility and the wisdom to let go?

We all have to find that balance within ourselves, and it helps if we recognize that our equilibrium is a changeable thing. It helps if we can be kind to ourselves when our reference points change.

I have yet to achieve balance – and maybe I never will. Maybe that’s not even the point. Maybe the point is simply to stay awake, question priorities, not run on autopilot. To remember to appreciate the equilibrium between the things we want and the things we’re not willing to do to get them – and then to respect the choices we’ve made that got us to where we are. To appreciate the balance between tenacity and flexibility – and honor the part each plays in making us who we are.

That’s something we can all do.