A moment of silence, of stillness. That is how I started my day on Summer Solstice last week, in Portland, Oregon. At the Lan Su Chinese Garden. My friend, Barb and I met there before attending a busy day of meetings.

Immediately upon stepping through the front entrance, we felt the wonderful energy of nature and architecture in balance. Nothing is struggling. Nothing is in conflict. Nothing is out of alignment.

Everything is taking its natural course — the water, the orange fish, the trees, the designed stone walkways, the curved bridges, lily pads – all support one another, effortlessly. Effortlessly.

Every day most of us put in a lot of effort, to do a good job, to be a good parent, to run a good race, to be a good citizen. We feel that the more effort we put in, the better the results will be. Yes, we need some effort, to try our best, but we also need to take a lesson from nature. Nature does not try harder. It functions with ease. It has its still moments and it has its drama.

Looking at the peaceful water, brought stillness into my being. The clear, blue sky reflected in the water. I looked up at the sky, then back down in the water. What a beautiful reflection of that morning sky in the water. It is in the few moments of stillness and reflection that we can find balance within ourselves and with nature.

What will you do today to find a few moments of balance?