(Photo by Tinydancer)
“If yin and yang do not exist, the One cannot be revealed. If the One cannot be revealed then the function of the two forces will cease, Reality and unreality, motion and rest, integration and disintegration, and clearness and turbidity are two different substances. In the final analysis, however, they are one.” -Confucius
Every person on this planet has a good side and a bad side, whether they want to admit it or not 😉
Some people seem to be angels on earth
While others seem to have the devil sitting on their shoulder
But even the angel likes to get into trouble once in a while
And the devil would never admit it, but he loves to do the right thing from time to time
Everyone has some balance of a good natured and bad natured self within them, and while no one side is better than the other no one is completely indifferent to one or the other, everyone likes to taste both, so to speak.
But even if this is true, what are the positive benefits that come out of understanding and applying our good and bad sides in situations in life?
I have found a way for you bad boys to be good, and you good girls to do something naughty all the while becoming better rounded and successful people in your lives
Having a split personality of a good and bad like two-face from batman is not ideal, so every person partitions who they are into a balance between the two forces
Some people have a slight tilt towards one or the other
And others seems to be completely one sided
This may seem a bit crazy to you, but if you really think about it I’m sure you can rattle off a list people off the top of your head that are more light natured or more dark natured without having to put much effort into it
Being light and dark is what helps define us as human beings, as no two people are just as much of a badass as each other, as there are no two identical angel archetypes roaming the earth
In order to better understand this concept, it’s important to first understand where you stand in terms of a bad boy or a good girl, or something in between. You may or may not already have a good idea of where you are in terms of this inner balance, but if you don’t know here is an easy way to find out
Ask yourself if you find yourself doing the right thing or the wrong thing in 10 different situations
You don’t need to come up with random scenarios, but look at past, present, and possible future experiences and determine what choice you made that was towards good nature or bad nature. Good doesn’t have to be saving 100 puppies form a burning fire and bad doesn’t have to be commit vehicular homicide, it can be the simplest of tasks
See You Don’t Have to Be Gandhi to See the Best in People, for some ideas on when you made light or dark centered decisions
(Be honest, everyone knows the difference between good and bad)
Maybe you did the good thing 9/10 times, or 5/10 or 1/10
Or maybe you the bad thing 1/10 times or 8/10 times
Whether you are skewed one way or the other it doesn’t matter, as that is what makes you unique, not a good or bad person
Now that you understand where you are more predisposed, you must understand that side is going to have heavy influence in the decisions you make every day
Whether in a small decision such as what to get to eat when at a restaurant or a bigger decision like whether you want to get married or not, you will always be influenced by your more prominent light or dark side
Because it has such an influence on your decisions, sometimes your perspective light or dark side can influence you in a way that does not serve your best interests
For example, when you are more influenced by your light side you may be more prone to be nice in nearly every situation you encounter, even when someone may try to take advantage of you.
Part of you will say, “That’s not right, this is bull@!$%”, but you more dominant light side will kick in and say, “no its okay I’m sure its for the best”
In situations such as this, it is more prudent for you to tap into your dark side, if not but only for a brief moment, as it serves your best interests at heart.
A similar situation can surface for someone who has more of a dark side influence
Maybe you are talking with a loved one and they say something that get you angry, and right before you begin a yelling match with your loved one, your light side says to you, “This is a fools argument, remember that you love them” but just then your loved one yells and you and you explode into an argument
Listening to your other half could have lead to a more peaceful resolve that does not end with a door slammed out of anger
Your light and dark sides are both necessary in order to accomplish many things in life, and you have a use for every emotion and action that comes out of each side
The key is having an inner balance and understanding that both light and dark sides exist inside of you
By understanding that they are there, you can take steps to making better decisions where you’re light and dark sides may conflict, and ultimately make more balanced decisions in your life
The next time you find yourself in a situation that could be tipped in the favor of dark or light actions, take a moment to step back and determine, what is the right thing to do in the situation? Trust your instincts, and watch your quality of life increase with every right action
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