The other day I had an intense debate with a friend about the future and more importantly the future of this earth we call home. She called us parasites and that tilted the scale for me. I fought back trying to shine a light on the situation, throwing in hope wherever I could find the space. Deep down, however I knew what she meant and she was absolutely right. I also knew that while we are destroying the world around us, we’re also living in the best time of human evolution, in terms of growth and advancement.
A simple comparison, just 10 years ago we ran out of the various concoctions of medication we could give to my mother, eventually leading to lethal doses that resulted in a demolished immune system and her loss. Today, the same diagnosis and prognosis is almost curable, if not putting the patient in remission with limited side effects. I am absolutely astounded by the difference I see and experiences in the last decade.
While our consciousness is expanding, our conscious behaviour towards preserving the earth is debilitating. While we are connecting to the world around us with a click of a button, our connection with the person in front of us is non-existent. Is this what is referred to as yin and yang? Good and bad? Black and white? Was there always and will be forever a dichotomy of existence that we will face and live? if one didn’t exist, does the other have no relevance? Or is it an illusion that we create for ourselves to justify the bad and recognise the good? Like a survival mechanism in a universe we have absolutely no idea about.
I have recently introduced myself to Taoism, such a fascinating and interesting concept that advocates balance and coexistence without resistance, being in the flow. For a Libran such as myself, its music to my ears and am inevitably drawn to the underlying philosophy. However, with some element of Scorpio in me (being on the cusp), I struggle with co-existence and allowing the flow. Againa contrast of two sides to the same coin.
If we were to allow the contrast, the division to take precedence, then do we continue to live in a realm of existence that has both. Knowing that it is the way of life and one cannot exist without the other. Then can we safely say there actually is no one without the other and that all is just one (while we perceive it to be opposing).
It brings me to what Brene Brown talks about on vulnerability and courage. She says there’s no courage without vulnerability. Aren’t these two opposing constituents of human traits? Then how are they interlinked? Maybe because it’s all the same that is perceived in two different ways.
So while we battle an illness or face our earth degrading in front of our eyes, can we perceive this in any other way? Not saying that we need to make light of it, but recognising that events, situations and life itself is a perception of one’s reality. My friend is put off by our attempts to save this planet, while I am overjoyed by the possibilities that have been created by mankind. I crave balance but struggle with non-resistance, while she is mostly in the flow. We ourselves are a contradiction.
