What is at the core of our... ?

We read the news, and although we're not entirely disconnected from the world around us, we know we're looking at pictures and reading words regarding something that has just happened, and in an entirely different country.  But what does it mean when we are there experiencing the situation first hand?  You would most likely walk away with an entirely different perspective on the matter.

Reflecting on everyday life is partly what makes me who I am.  I will often ask myself, "what is at the core of our being?"  This question is literally quite broad if you think about it.  There is never one thing driving our every action, our lives are complex, and in reality there is much at the core of being.

Take atoms for instance, from what little I do know, it would appear that there is a balance in place.  A cloud of electrons surrounding a nucleus of protons.  There is an obvious balance here, atoms make up matter and matter is everything that occupies space.  We occupy space, we are made up of matter, and we exist are in turn a part of that balance.  I went off on a bit of a tangent, but the point is this, balance exists all around us.  And I cannot wait for the day when I can write a book about it and deeply reflect on the subject.

When I think of balance and I think of what is at the core of our being, I go back to the basics.  Clean food, water, and air to consume.  What more is necessary?  Shelter.  But then life becomes much more complex.  We either want or feel we need more, and our culture plays a role in this process.  Perhaps it started at a young age, besides, repetitious behavior helps us develop habits, good or bad.

Should the question be, "what should BE at the core of our being?"  We all choose our own focus, what is most important to us as individuals, our families, and so on.  A part of me leaned toward religion as having the most influence, what is religion if not a guideline for everything that should or should not be incorporated into our lives?  Religion inspires behavior, lifestyle, values, morals, and has influenced many people throughout the ages.  For some people, religion is much more important that any possession, amount of money or any worldly thing.  And because that, I have great respect for religion.

What else could it be?  What else might we see as being at the core of our being? ...Love inspires.  But what is love without hate, or peace without war?  In this world, there is always some sort of balance, whether we agree with the laws of gravity or not, it continues to exist and so do we with all our desires, the will to do right, and not to forget our errors, our sins.