Paradox, Uncertainty and contradiction: The Road to Wisdom

I was about twenty when I read that, "...being comfortable with paradox was the sign of wisdom...." I immediately recognized it as true, in the way a person does deep in their soul, because, along with it I knew, in exactly that same way, I had no tolerance, at all, for paradox.... I wanted answers...things are either right or wrong, good or bad, up or down...not both, or either or neither...I wanted to do good and vanquish the bad and reality kept slipping me a 'mickey'...but no matter how I tried to resist it...paradox, was and is the way to wisdom....

The truth of that can not be more obvious for most of us as we travel through the maze of our daily lives...'one size fits all' health care is a boondoggle...'one size fits all' financial practices, either with credit or banking, or the economy at large, plagues us...and trying to decide how to traverse the personal issues of our relationships; spouses, kids, bosses, co-workers, BFF's; and including our relationship with the earth, is ...full of...filled...with adversarial dynamics...we often fall into the trap of living our nightmares and calling it life; and yet, seeking counsel often seems hopeless....

We do our best...sometimes we speak up sometimes we shut up...often neither position makes us really happy and that is the point...learning to be at peace with choices, that at best may be imperfect, is hard...learning to tell the difference between not saying something because you're too worried about how it will come off and not saying something because in your best estimate it is the kind, compassionate and loving way...can be tricky under the best circumstances and way over the top when you are triggered by life's challenges...do seek out life coaches and know at the same time it is an act of wisdom to discover how to both use and discard their support....

For myself I can't survive without checking in with my guides when life gets too full of distress...and each time, what they help me do, is take a moment to step back and ask myself how sure am I, that what I'm thinking is, either 'really right', or 'really wrong'...and if the answer is I'm certain...I stop, back off, relax and look for the ambiguity...and then only after I see the paradox, the possibility of both sides being either right, or wrong, do I act...with the complete assurance that I don't really know and that I hope my choice is guided with compassion, and appreciation, and respect, for the struggles others who may oppose me are faced with...I strive to 'choose' instead of 'decide' and I strive to give the devil her due (can't always be a guy)....

Be well, live with passion, cry freely, laugh a lot, love the ones you're with and the ones you're not, when in doubt, wonder just a little if you've been blessed with a moment of true wisdom; and never forget to discover your compassion for each child who travels this path with you...until next time, I remain...Respectfully Yours, Larry








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