Work, Accept

Fruitful practice, and equally a fruitful life, is achieved by managing a harmony between two seeming opposites

They are like the two wings of a bird which must be of equal size and strength, and work in coordination with one another

Doing

The first quality is that of activity, masculine, an engagement
We must put in the work, the discipline, the effort
We must try as best we can in the moment to maintain our direction and to achieve our goals
The yoga word for this is “abhyāsa”
It develops aspects like stability, commitment, consistency and structure

Being

The second is a passive, feminine quality, a receiving
We must accept and surrender to what actually is and to what actually happens
We honour whatever outcomes arise, recognising them as the reality of the moment, without grasping for specific results
The yoga word for this is “vairāgyā''
It develops aspects such as flexibility, openness, tolerance and receptivity

Doing without being results in rigidity and dogma, we become intransigent and fixed
Being without doing lacks direction and purpose, we become slack and ineffective

We are not in control of the results of our actions but we must, nevertheless, act

A useful example of this in our practice, or daily life, might be that of a physical exercise regimen
It is important and beneficial to have self-discipline, a structure, regularity, to commit, and so on
It is also important to be flexible in it, to acknowledge, honour and allow for the circumstances of the particular moment
Early mornings are usually a good time for such practices
But if we need to skip a morning session or cut it shorter, we may be tired today or have other commitments etc, then we should accept this and not give ourselves a hard time for it

The establishment of the doing comes first, the being follows and, in the final analysis, is where the deeper unfolding happens

References;

Yoga sutras 1:12
abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ

Amit Goswami, The Quantum Activist
“Do Be Do Be Do”