In All Things, Balance


I love the yin-yang symbol. The depiction of black chasing white and white chasing black in an endless cycle. To me, this is a perfect metaphor for life.

We divide ourselves up into good guys and bad guys and have it out with the other team. Funny both sides claim goodness is on their side, while the other side is leading us to ruin. It's tribal and primitive thinking, which, to be fair, is very expected given where we come from.

We've evolved to survive and, because we are a social species, our survival depended on our group survival. When food was scarce and another tribe was nearby, you had to fight to make sure your tribe was the one that made it.

Now, we live in an age of abundance. We have so much food, you are more likely to die from overconsuming versus underconsuming. And yet, with this abundance, we still maintain our tribal thinking and go to war with those outside our tribe, fighting not for food, but for power. The ability to dictate how society should function.

By nature, I avoid confrontation. I don't like conflict and try to live as peacefully as I can. But, I still have my opinions about things. Even though I try to be agreeable, I don't necessarily agree with everyone. And that's okay. It's perfectly fine to hold opinions.

Where I get uncomfortable is when differences of opinion lead to dehumanizing. When we start calling the other group evil. As I've gained more exposure to the world, I find that things are not as black and white as we were probably raised to think. When you start asking questions, things can get a little blurry. I often wonder if there really is such a thing as an objective right and wrong, Are there things that are truly wrong, regardless of public opinion?

When we take something like the Holocaust, it seems very straightforward that that was evil. When pressed why, I suppose it comes down to the devaluing of human life. I doubt you would find many people that endorse the mass killing of a group of people.

But, take the current Israel Palestinian conflict. Here is another example of the collective taking of human life. Who is right and who is wrong? Which ones are the good guys? It gets tricky. Both sides are claiming the high ground. So what side does one stand on? Does one need to take a side?

Struggle seems to be a large part of being human. Struggle with other people and struggle with ourselves. Maybe what we need is to make peace with struggle. Maybe instead of demonizing your opponent, see them as a necessary part of your journey. Your enemy is filling the very important role of providing you with resistance. A chance to test your opinions and see how they hold up. Maybe your opponent exists to strengthen you and make you more resilient.

We can treat internal struggles the same way. Our bodies and minds are wonderful mechanisms that provide resistance for our soul. Our struggles are growth opportunities. A chance to dig deeper and progress further. Struggle is the muse for your life's artwork. Embrace struggle as a teacher sent to impart wisdom.

Life moves in cycles. Like the yin-yang, the drama goes around and around. Find balance in the drama, knowing that every tear shed, every drop of sweat and blood is helping tell your story. Participate in the drama without being overcome by it. Balance in all things.

Down two pounds.

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