In my earlier post about opposites, we explored that the energy of opposites, and knowing opposites, is where some of the juicy life we want occurs. I want to take that a step further and talk about the growth that happens between opposites as it applies to our emotions.

In the last post, I talked about how it’s important to know anger so that you can know joy, and vice versa. Now I’m jumping into the dramatic energy of the in-between: the energy between extreme opposites and what we get out of what’s in the middle. I have an author friend that calls that the messy middle (SARK), and I think she’s spot on. The in-between can feel messy, but it’s also where the juicy goodness is.

In the middle, there is an opportunity to be aware of the extremes. You understand the energy of opposing magnets, and I think we experience something similar with emotions. Where two forces are opposing each other, you can really feel the tension between them. The key for me is learning to dance with that perceived tension. (I found this interesting article if you’d like to read more.)

When we’re aware of the extremes, it gives us an opportunity to make choices about the path we choose for our experience. That’s where the growth is. By consciously choosing our direction and energy, we create the life we want. Take the anger/joy example. If we latch on to the anger part, we’re going to have an experience that supports that anger. If we hold the joy part in the forefront, we’re going to experience more joy, and draw more joy into the wheelhouse of our experience. That’s growth! Our choice becomes our growth.

As humans, we often want or expect our lives to run smoothly. When a boulder appears in our path, it can upset the apple cart. Why can’t we just feel the joy all the time? Here’s my theory: If it was all joy, all the time, we’d never understand how to truly appreciate it. Without the anger part, our experience of joy takes on a different context. With the anger part, the depth of the joy we feel takes on a new life, a more energetic life.

Let’s dance with our in betweens, our middles. Understanding the opposing emotional forces in our lives gives us a rich life to consume and experience. Celebrate your opposites! Give yourself permission to play in the middle where the energy is.

Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay