Finding peace in a world of contrast

A yoga teacher one asked us, ‘What did Hitler and Ghandi have in common?’

In the palpable peace generated by an hour of silence and focused movement there was a sudden shift in the room – a mix of semi-alarm that raised spines and sat heads erect, and another that contracted chests and lowered eyes.

I immediately went into my head and thought how obvious the answers would be to this somewhat contentious question, and started formulating my own answer. I ranged over the apparent good and bad acts of these two people, the demises of both and the future that followed as a calculable consequence of their actions. We still talk about both people, more than fifty years on.

Our teacher listened in total stillness and then, when we were beyond words, she gave her own answer:

'They both had the same job to do.’

We all gasped, and confusion reigned. How so? How could that be? How could you say that?

Remember this was a yoga class, full of people dedicated to peace in whatever way they wished to experience it. And we had been taught to consider the conundrums of life, to truly contemplate beyond immediate reactions and find the wise Truth that always sits at the core of existence.

As people dropped their personal stances on the question and sat in silent searching their hearts, our teacher spoke.

‘They both showed us what we really want. They just used different ways to do it.’

CHOOSING THE OPPOSITE

In the natural law of opposites there exists an important balance and a means for us to find our focus, to know what we want by knowing what we don’t want. In each polarity there is an equal, powerful opposing force that holds the point of balance.

Until we can fully focus on the best and most beneficial for all concerned we will need the contrast. Light and dark, yin and yang, weak and strong.

A BETTER SOLUTION

What we know as travellers through Conscious awareness and evolution is that what we focus on is what we create. So while we might need equal and opposing forces to show us the current balance we also need to shift our full focus onto the higher goal – ‘peace’ in this case.

7 steps to go beyond the contrast

1. Recognise what is – the contrast of ‘good’ and ‘bad’

2. Acknowledge briefly what is no longer desired and let it go

3. Name the goal and refocus on it

4. Visualise and feel your goal fulfilled – engage fully with it, practice success

5. Create your (peaceful) strategy for getting there and take action immediately

6. Maintain your full conviction and adjust your actions where needed

7. Celebrate success. Drink it in!

Evolution builds on ever-expanding needs and desires to survive and flourish in stronger and stronger ways. So focusing on solutions is an essential step to success.

We err when we give significance to what we do not want. In fact it grows larger through the very fact of our attention. It’s a natural quantum law that what we give our attention to only exists while we pay attention to it.

Use the law of contrasts to decide what you really want and place full focus on acting towards its manifestation. Measure progress, adjust your strategies until you succeed, and celebrate your arrival.

For in-house working collaborations on executive visioning for value, wisdom and success contact me at indira@consciousleader.com.au or www.consciousleader.com.au