Owning the Opposites

Owning the Opposites

by Linda Heron Wind, Ph.D.

Opposites are what make up this physical world. They are the texture and the colors of the beautiful painting we see through our physical eyes. Looking at the physical world around us, we also see ourselves in the painting - one of the colors, part of a unique texture. And yet in a non-physical way of seeing, we are also the whole picture - each of us is. The paradox of the view from the physical eyes and the perspective of the non-physical eye, cannot be fully understood with the mind. Only the heart is at peace with such discrepancies.

To see the beauty of the opposites is to appreciate the rainbow of colors that emerges from the beam of white light shined through the prism in the dimensional doorway. Is the rainbow still the white light and the white light, the rainbow, when we can only see one or the other? Shining the colors of the rainbow back through the prism yields the white light. Such is the nature of the opposites, with all the possibilities in between, that emerge from the one source that we know as unity.

Enough of the philosophy and science, what is the practical implication of this knowledge? On each polarity, our natural inclination is to be toward one end or the other. For example, as a child I was shy as opposed to outgoing. Through my life I have learned how to be outgoing so I now own that polarity. Sort of like playing monopoly, we have to move along the polarity and realize each part of it to fully have the choice of where we wish to be on that polarity. Now I can choose to be shy or outgoing, whereas before I could only be shy.

Some polarities, such as shy versus outgoing feel good to own, particularly if you started out shy. But why would an outgoing person need to learn to be shy? Because shy is also a part of that person and it needs to be acknowledged and lived. So quiet people must learn to be loud and loud people must learn to be quiet, if they are to own those opposites. Truthful people must learn to lie and lying people must learn to be truthful, if they are to own those opposites.

What, you say, why would truthful people need to learn to lie? Perhaps we can look at it this way. We all lie without awareness since none of us fully knows the truth about anything, and yet we can tell the truth to the best of our awareness if we choose to do so. There are times when withholding the truth is kinder than saying it. If you ask me if I like your hair and I think it looks awful, should I say that? And if I don't am I lying? We all have times that we don't say all we feel or know. Sometimes that is fine and sometime it is not. Owning the opposites means that we can consciously discern when telling the truth is called for and when withholding the truth is ok. After all truth from my perspective may not be true for you. If we have judgment about lying or being called a liar, we are not able to come into unity with ourselves or others.

Let's take another polarity. How about the opposites of right and wrong? We all like to think we are right, but what I believe is right could be what you believe is wrong. Can we accept that something might be both right and wrong at the same time? Can I feel ok when someone says that I am wrong and accept that is that person's truth? Owning the polarity says that both exist in all of us, and that we can free ourselves from the polarity of right and wrong when we accept both as relative but valid positions.

Owning the polarities frees us to be the wholeness and to see the wholeness in others, regardless of their position in the tapestry of the third dimension. It allows us to drop our judgment of differences and, instead, value the difference. Beauty emerges out of conflict when conflict allows us to honor difference as well as sameness.

What opposites do you own? What polarities still have you tethered? Cut your tethers and fly by embracing the opposites within yourself.

I am all of it:
The good, bad; love, hate; light, dark
Every tear and smile

Wondrous tapestry
Opposites dance wholeness
I am unity

If you have comments on these articles or ideas for future topics, call Linda Heron Wind at (585) 924-5620 or send e-mail to LHWind@aol.com.

Page last modified March 22, 2005 by RMC