A life in contrast

Hello friends,

Good. Bad. Earth. Sky. Poverty. Wealth. Night. Day. Old. Young. Up. Down. In. Out. Love. Fear.

Contrast is part of how we learn the world and find our place in it. Contrast can bring beauty and harmony. Contrast also brings strife.

When I’m writing, I reach for both contrast and flow. In fiction, especially, contrast is necessary. Without contrast, there is no conflict, and without conflict—which can be as simple as a problem that needs solving—there is no story. My books on spiritual practice are similar, with contrast driving curiosity. “If I make these changes, or think from a different angle, or practice something for six months… what will be different? What will change?”

There is unity and flow in the cosmos, and simultaneously this separation that makes life interesting.

Homogeneity is boring. Sameness can feel comforting for a while, but slowly dulls our senses and our ability to think sharply and in new ways.

And sometimes, contrast versus homogeneity becomes the basis for a politics, a culture, and a way of life. Homogeneity becomes insistence on comfort which diminishes us all.

In my own life, I look at the ways in which comfort is a balm and a boon, and ways in which it makes my life smaller, impeding empathy and imagination. We all want and need a certain amount of comfort, but when does that swaddling become a soft and cozy trap? And when does it become a danger to others? Because someone is always outside that comfort zone, and when it is decided that they disturb our comfort, well… we’ve seen what happens on a larger scale.

So, today I ask us all: what is the balance of comfort and contrast in your life? What helps push you out of your comfort zone? And what welcomes you back home?

Best wishes — Thorn