We live in an age of digital clocks. We see time on our cell phones, computer screens and TVs. But not so long ago, we used other ways to measure and display time. Before electricity and batteries, clocks operated under the influence of gravity, using a pendulum. The pendulum would be suspended from a fixed support, allowing it to swing freely back and forth to regulate the clock. The pendulum could slow down or speed up based on any number of mechanical factors. Accuracy was not guaranteed. Clocks had many gears and wheels and springs. Sometimes the inner workings, also known as the movement, needed to be tinkered with until things got back into balance.
Pendulum also means something that changes its position or attitude fairly regularly, swinging back and forth from one opinion or condition to another. A person may be “wishy-washy” or a “flip-flopper” because their opinions change on a regular basis. Consider the pendulum of public opinion or that of fashion. Just take a look at hemlines throughout history and you will see a reflection of both. Things change and yet they remain the same. The pendulum swings.
Since you are alive and experiencing the day to day moments of life, you can be certain that the pendulum of your emotions is moving all the time! When you are centered, the pendulum is absolutely still. You are at peace with yourself and the world. But then a thought comes to mind and brings an emotion with it. It doesn’t matter whether the thought is a loving thought or a fearful thought. The pendulum begins to swing. Whatever thought you focus upon and become attached to will pull the pendulum in that direction. The laws of nature tell us that once the pendulum is pulled in one way, it will swing back. It will go past the center to the opposite realm. In other words, things will change!
Just like the pendulum in the clock, the accuracy of your personal emotional pendulum is not always guaranteed. Any number of factors can send it swinging wildly back and forth. Relationships, finances and health can influence your balance. You could make the mistake of worrying about things you can’t control. Or you could become attached to a particular outcome, creating an opportunity for disappointment or anger. You could suffer from mood swings, moving from excitement to despair. You may feel a little out of control and need to tinker with your inner workings.
Consider this: All the outside stuff is temporary. It is always changing. Mini skirts and maxi skirts. Skinny jeans and bell-bottoms. All come and go and come back again. Yet you remain. You are eternal and timeless. Let go of fleeting thoughts which pull your emotions to the extreme and set the pendulum in motion. You can take control and remain in the center of it all. Focus on your breathing and go within to your place of knowing. Recognize the power of the moment. Breath brings clarity of thought. You have the power to stop the pendulum from swinging. Be still. Take the time to tinker with your inner workings. There is always some means to adjust the rate of the clock. Adjust your pendulum so that it swings back and forth with a precise interval between each swing; never going wildly out of control but staying in balance.
In a clock mechanism, there is a gear called an escape wheel which is released one tooth at a time by a lever that rocks back and forth. Each time the escape wheel moves forward it also gives the pendulum a push to keep it moving. When the outside world is changing, sometimes it is necessary to escape. When you go inside, you can keep a steady beat and move forward.