Both

Do you live in a this or that world, or a this AND that world?

We tend to categorize things as good or bad and right or wrong. It helps us make sense of senseless things. And yet, we can get so caught up in defending the good or bad of a person or experience and miss the opportunity for it being both.

Rather than living in the absolutes of right and wrong, I live life on a spectrum of 0 (wrong) to 100 (right), and there is little I can place on either end of the spectrum. There are certainly examples closer to each end, but definitively? I leave that space up to the unknown. I cannot be sure that there isn’t somewhere within 7 billion people that could change the absolute.

Being word sensitive, I often catch absolute phrases, especially in song lyrics. For example, I LOVE this song by Colbie Caillat, Never Gonna Let You Down, and it’s on my heart song playlist. And yet, the words never and always are a big part of the song.

I’m never gonna let you down
I’m always gonna build you up
When you’re feeling lost
I will always find you LOVE
I’m never gonna walk away
I’m always gonna have your back
And if nothing else, you can always count on that
When you need me, I promise I will never let you down.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t make those absolute promises. I don’t take these words lightly. I will do my best to be that for people I care about, AND I know that it’s possible I won’t live up to it.

Moving forward, I invite you into the world of this AND that by:

Seeing your life on a spectrum, rather than just good or bad. Where does the person or experience fit on your 0 to 100 scale?

Paying attention to what you deem an absolute and asking yourself if it’s true.

Knowing that you can find good in bad situations and notice bad in good situations. I focus on being LOVING, kind, compassionate, and peaceful 90%+ of the time. Focus on the ‘good’ while knowing the ‘bad’ is also part of life.

Being open to seeing things in a different way than you have experienced before. Just because it’s ‘always’ been this way doesn’t mean it has to continue to be that way. Be open.

LOVING unconditionally while having conditions on whom you share your time, energy, and talents.

Mostly, my wish for you is to see both sides of the situation, decide where you fall on the scale, and adjust accordingly, bringing more LOVE, kindness, compassion, and peace into your life.

Until next time, join me in the space of and.

PS. I highly recommend listening to this week’s song choice as it speaks to both sides of life’s happy and sad aspects and reminds us that…

“Something’s lost, but something’s gained… in living every day.”