|
Clarity through opposites
Darkness is the opposite of light. Bad is the opposite of good. Fear is the opposite of love. Is it possible to separate light from darkness? Could we understand the concept of light if we didn’t have darkness to
contrast? Sometimes it’s necessary for us to explore sadness, for example to remember or clarify our experience and understanding of it’s opposite, joy.
No one likes having a cold. A runny or stuffy nose, sore throat and that run-down feeling aren’t fun. When you have a cold, doesn’t it remind you how good it felt to not have one? When we have a cold, we’re inclined
to comment on how poorly we feel. Why don’t we comment when we feel healthy? After all we’re healthy for more of the time than we have colds. Give thanks for your health. Every day that you don’t have a cold
acknowledge your good health. Remind your self how good it feels to breath free. Acknowledge feeling good and maybe you won’t need a reminder about how good it feels. Perhaps celebrating your healthy days will mean
one less cold you have to have to remind you how good being healthy feels.
Being healthy feels good. Colds feel bad. Being in the dark, figuratively or literally, is unpleasant for most people. Shedding light, having something illuminated is en-light-ening. Love feels good. Fear is
debilitating. Opposites help us to understand what we want. Explore the positive side of living. Rejoice in all that is right. When things go wrong, it is a learning opportunity. Things going “wrong” help us to
understand and appreciate what feels right. Use unpleasant experiences as a reminder to celebrate normal life. We all have a tendency to comment on the negative. There’s one driver swerving around changing lanes.
That driver draws our attention and maybe a comment, “Look at that guy.”
At the same time there are hundreds of cars around and they are all driving pleasantly. What about newspapers and programs? In the paper there is violent crime reported every day. We get a disproportionate view of the negative in the world. Why? Press says, “It’s what people want.” Is it what you want? You can change the way you live. You can catch negative thoughts before you say them. Keep your comments about the crazy driver to yourself and force a celebration; “I like going to the mall with you.” Each one of us chooses what we want to read and say. When we as a society want all the good news on the front page, then the press will give us what we want. Until then, each of us can influence our family and friends by focusing on and expressing and celebrating what is right and good and loving about life.
Try this:
Celebrate “normal” life. You’re healthy - mention how good you feel. Don’t wait until you get a cold to remember how good it feels to be healthy. Ignore the “bad” drivers and celebrate all the good drivers.
Don’t let the little “what’s wrong” take more than their share of your time, focus, or energy. Look at all that is right and loving in your life and celebrate.
|
