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The Gift of Contrast
I feel people have a certain perception about me based on how I live my life. Certainly when they read my articles and hear me speak, they draw conclusions about what my life must be like and who they think I am. Some have seen me move through adversity to change my life from the depths of alcoholism, severe back and emotional pain to helping others through the work I do today. All these things are true and part of who I am today but this does not mean that I do not struggle or face new problems from time to time. We all do and this is an important part of why we are here on this planet. I would not be the person I am today and be doing the work I do without having gone through each experience and challenge that life has offered me.
Is my life or has my life been harder than yours? This is relative because we all face difficulty at some point in our lives, some more than others, again based on perception. However, I do not know anyone who has escaped it. The true test of who we are as a spiritual being having this human experience is how we move through these experiences. I recognized a long time ago that there is great value in our challenges and that life here is one of contrast. Without darkness, we would not know what light is. Without the love of another, we would not know loneliness. So ask yourself this question: would you choose not to love knowing that you would never have to experience loneliness?
I can only answer a question like this with a resounding NO! To experience life in the fullest we must experience the contrasting energies. Knowing this fact can allow you to move through your challenges with more ease and grace. I now know that the pain I feel in my body when receiving bodywork is an expression of the pain that I have experienced in my life both physical and emotional. Moreover, that by experiencing this pain I can release it forever, giving myself the gift of its contrast, peace.
The other day I was receiving very deep bodywork in my belly that was painful, to the point that I was expressing this pain through loud hollering. When the practitioner let up, I felt a profound release and a feeling of empowerment. I said that was FUN, and I meant it because I knew the benefit of going to that place, and this time I felt it immediately. Sometimes the effects are more subtle.
Now I am not saying that this is appropriate for everyone, but what I am saying is that we cannot go through life avoiding the things we think we do not like or should not have to experience. Everything that comes our way in life is meant to be experienced -- otherwise it would not show up. If you choose to change the way you see these experiences then you can change the experience of these things.
Let me say that another way. If we change our perception about what we are experiencing then we can change how we feel about it and that will change how we go through the experience. If I put ten people in a so called stressful situation, would all ten become stressed ? Each person would go through the experience based on his or her perception about the experience. Some might even like the experience and not be stressed at all; they may even thrive in the experience. What is the difference and are all these experiences genuine?
We will be faced with challenges in life as we experience the contrast of life. This contrast of life offers us the opportunity to change and experience our lives in new and profound ways. Do not be afraid to face your challenges, feel your pain and live your life with ultimate abandon. Peace eludes our experience because of social conditioning. Take the time to find your peace -- it is right where is has always been. You will find it in the spaces between the notes of life. Play your instrument to the fullest and be the musician only you can be.
Please see Tim's Tip Discover Clarity through Contrast in the April 2007 newsletter.
This work is licensed under a Creative
Commons License.
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