The Contrast

"It's all good!"

This phrase, though used all the time, is often not understood in it's fullest and most true meaning. The wisdom behind it is timeless and has literally been around forever presenting itself in many philosophies and perspectives, but they are still just words. Because words can't give you the exact experience behind them, the true meaning is often lost.

How the hell could everything really be good?! It sounds crazy from a lot of perspectives. We've got poverty all over the world, war, natural disasters destroy places like Haiti, and lots of misery and suffering in peoples daily lives. So how can anyone in their right mind say, "It's all good?"

One answer is 'contrast.' What are your favorite stories, movies, or books? Take a second and think of one. There's no doubt the story you are thinking of has a person or people who are being affected by horrible events or circumstances. If there was no trouble, there would be no story.

As simple as the idea of contrast is, it can sometimes be difficult to see the things we don't like as the things that give value to the things we do like. Literally, if there was no 'bad', there could be no 'good'. Just as with all opposites, they are indivisible.

• If darkness did not exist, light would not be perceivable because it would be a constant.
• If silence did not exist, sound would not be perceivable because it would be a constant.
• If pain did not exist, pleasure would not be perceivable because it would be a constant.
• Etc...
  

When you realize you can't have one side of a coin without the other, then you can see both sides as one coin. A coin with everything you love on one side, and everything you fear on the other. If you labeled this coin, the name could have no opposite since the coin is both sides. If you appreciate the coin as a whole (even though you don't really care for one side) then "it's all good." With this perspective, you can not only feel better, but more effectively change things you don't like.

Because there will always be some kind of a contrast in life, it's our choice to accept it and choose to focus on the part we like. What is focused on expands in your experience.


Related posts:

• Blinding Light and Blinding Darkness
• The Illusion of Opposites

Good Times

Good times. We've all had them. Some people more than others, but we've all had at least a glimpse of them. Individually, we all might have different situations and circumstances that we might give the label of 'good times,' but that's where the differences end.

Amazingly, but not surprisingly, everyone alive has the exact same view or feeling when it comes to having a good time. We all share and contribute a feeling of acceptance (joy, gratitude, enthusiasm, relief, appreciation, bliss, ecstasy, peace, or any combination of these) to whatever the situation or circumstance is.

The very definition of 'good times' are when you are in high acceptance of what is. It is not possible to have good times with out the special ingredient of this perspective.

Looking at this fact with the analytical, logical, and deductive reasoning skills of a scientist breaking down a compound to isolate and identify a single element; we may realize that an attitude of acceptance is the common denominator in every single person's experience of 'good times.' We may see that it is because we add this single ingredient of acceptance to a life situation that 'good times' occur. We could then successfully conclude that we can create 'good times' whenever we want by adding high degrees of acceptance to a life situation. We can effectively synthesis 'good times!' We can create 'good times' whenever we want!

Of course it works on paper and sounds real nice, but does it actually work? Is it all just hype and hypothesis? Don't take my word for it. Think about your own life experiences and see if it holds up.

• During your best life experiences, what was your attitude toward the situation like?
• Even right now, if you picture a scenario of something you want to happen happening, what is your attitude like toward that?
• Can you even imagine a situation where you are not in acceptance making you feel good?
  

Good times. The best memories in your life are often very vivid. You can so easily recall the sights, sounds, smells, what you felt like, and what was going on. It is at times like these that you might feel more alive and your awareness or senses are heightened. Of course it makes for a more vivid memory, but why does this happen? It is because in a high mode of acceptance, the regular mind chatter slows or ceases and your feeling of being in the moment, being alive, and sensing everything comes to the forefront of your consciousness. Good times only happen in the present moment.

You can be in high acceptance at will. You can have 'good times' at will. It might not be easy at first, but it definitely gets easier with practice.

Let the good times roll.

Good Morning!

Good morning everybody. I am writing this at a time far from the rising of the sun in my time zone. I am using this phrase as a wake up call.

Even if you are not a 'morning person', I'm sure you have had a day or time when you have awoken from a sleep and felt totally rested and refreshed. On top of feeling rejuvenated and relaxed you felt a sense of hope and promise that today is a new day and that anything is possible. This may have been recently or many years ago. My point is, if you can recall this feeling, however brief; you know exactly what I'm saying.

Most people tend to let scheduling dictate how they should be feeling at a given moment. If it is Monday morning, you may hear a lot of people grumbling, "I hate Mondays." During the week, be it at work or school, most people feel a lot lighter and happier when it's 'quitting time' than when they first arrive. If it is Friday afternoon, you may hear people excitedly exclaiming, "T.G.I.F.!"

When you withdraw your focus from the thoughts that fuel your dependency on scheduling (just as the thought of a schedule fuels your thoughts), and refocus your awareness in the present moment; the feelings of anxiety of what is to come, or regret about the past, disappear. They can not co-exist in your awareness when you are altogether focused in the present moment. Try it out for yourself.

'Good morning' is a reminder. Any and every single moment (including the very present moment of you reading this right now) has all the power and potential of the moment you had that feeling of waking up, renewed and full of optimism. The only difference between then and now is the conversation in your head.

'Good morning' also brings your attention to the concept of a fresh start; a new day. In reality, the earth is always spinning and a new day is simply the time our minds are trained to acknowledge a new cycle in the spinning movement. In other words, you can pick any single moment to 'start fresh.'

Infinite possibilities abound. The more you consciously live in the present moment, the more you realize the power of it. Everything that has ever happened, is happening right now, and ever will happen; happens in the present moment. From moment to moment, things have just as much chance of remaining the same as they do to change.

GOOD MORNING!!

Everyday Is A Good Day

Most of us have heard, "Everyday above ground is good day." Previously, I did not really agree with or see the truth in this saying. After the shift in my perspective, the great depth in the truth resonates with me.

The definition of good I have realized helps to make it even more clear. (See the post Good Is God) Every day is a God day.

The part about being above ground is not even necessary. Everyday is a good day regardless. Even tough situations and hardships actually can be seen as growing pains and are still moving you in a direction to be free of the stress that actually caused them. Every thing that can possibly happen is a step in the right direction. (See Every Little Step and School of Hard Knocks)

Does Evil Really Exist?

Speak no evil.
See no evil.
Hear no evil.

As a kid, I often heard this saying. I never really knew the true significance of it until earlier this year though. When I was younger, I simply thought that it meant to be a "good" person. In other words, don't say bad things. Don't listen to bad music or rhetoric. And don't watch things that may poison your mind.

With the shift in perspective and the understanding that 'good' and 'bad' can be all together transcended; the true depth of meaning has occurred to me. When you understand that the source of all labeling and judgment comes from the ego and that it can all be transcended by seeing life through the objective eyes of the Observer; you recognize that there really is no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' outside of the eye of the beholder.

In other words, with out someone to witness a situation or event, there is no judgment of that situation or event. The judgment does not exist in the universe independently. It only exists with in the mind of the person witnessing it. When you fully realize this, you understand that when something is deemed evil; the evil really only exists with in the mind of the person who gives it the label. Just as beauty does not exist outside the eye of the beholder, neither does evil.

This was touched on in several other posts. (Eye of the Beholder - Morality Is Relative - You Can Be Right or You Can Be Happy - Who Is the Judge? - just to name a few)

Speak no evil. See no evil. Hear no evil. When you transcend evil, it no longer resonates with you the same way. When you are able to separate your observation from the labels you would have otherwise given it; you actually observe it less. It is not as if you become blind to it. It actually happens less around you because you no longer attract it. A strong resonance with anything (be it positive or negative to you) helps to attract more of it into your life. When you transcend the label of evil, you as a co-creator of reality help to reduce the amount of evil that exists.

"Good" Is God

Since my shift in perspective, I often find the meanings behind words that are often overlooked. I feel that I can many times get a good idea of exactly how a word came to be coined and the significance behind it. One such word that I continuously observe is the word "good".

As stated in a previous post entitled, "It's All Good Intention - It's All God Intention", it's no coincidence that 'good' is 'God' with an extra 'o'. It can also be looked at as 'God' is 'good' minus an 'o'. However you choose to see it or which ever word was coined first, it makes no difference. The point is the correlation of the two words.

I find it funny (to the point of entertainment almost) how synonymous these two words can be. I have made it an occasional practice to switch the two words in my head whenever I come across them. It really is amazing to see how interchangeable they are. At the same time, it seems only natural that they are.

A few examples:

• I see the [good/God] in you.
• [Good/God] morning to you.
• Share the [good/God] feelings.

You get the point. Try observing this your self. Along with what was stated in the previous post (It's All Good Intention - It's All God Intention), you may gain a new insight on What Is Really Good.

Stay tuned!