Nothing can exist without its opposite

Batman needs, and wouldn’t exist without, villains like The Joker. Cold only has meaning if we understand it in relation to hot. The same goes for up and down. War cannot exist in a world that does not also include peace. Samsara and Nirvana (not the band) are inextricably linked. Every act of creation is first an act of destruction. Life – death – life.

What you want cannot exist in a world free of what you don’t want. It is a continuum. One pole cannot exist without its opposite.

The alchemy, the gold, amongst this otherwise dreary news is that you can only experience one pole at a time. Let me say that again. If you are experiencing Love, you cannot experience Hate at that moment. If you are experiencing Freedom, you cannot be experiencing Captivity. If you are experiencing Success, you cannot at that moment be experiencing Failure. Scientists have even proven that if you are experiencing Empathy you cannot be, in that moment, capable of Violence.

Don’t believe me. And please, ignore the science. This weekend when you are feeling rage at the toddler who will not sleep/listen muster empathy for their predicament and notice what changes. When you are judgmental, see what happens when you move to a place of compassion. Or, for shits and giggles, when you are joyously enjoying the sun and the relaxed pace of the weekend try to feel frustration and see if you succeed.

I would love to know how you go. xxx