Whoa there’s a big topic. We are exploring the need for both in my art class this week and yet, is this not true of everything in our lives?

Do you consciously invite both in or do you strive to thrive in only one? We enjoy a warm fire because it's cold outside. We enjoy others AND being alone. We feel fulfilled when a movie makes us laugh and cry. We enjoy travel because it’s a contrast to day-to-day life.

Contrast is the spice of life whether it’s in a painting, a book, a meal … and harmony brings it all together in a soothing and comforting way.

If life is all rosy, while we think that might be easy breezy, it would likely become quite boring if we weren’t challenged in some way. Ideally, we create the challenges we want to take on, like learning new things, stretching ourselves a bit outside of our comfort zones so the stress we feel is good for us.

If life is all contrasty and chaotic, one exciting thing after another, it’s exciting, wild, edgy and well … it makes me tired thinking about it. Of course some people get high on the adrenaline of it all but we aren’t designed to run like that for long. Nothing on this gorgeous planet is ON 24/7; all things need a rest time.

As do we. The contrast and the harmony.

This isn’t a new concept, but it’s come into my experience in a new way – through art and blood pressure.

Last month I tracked my blood pressure and it’s been fascinating to see what affects it in what way and to what extent. Yes, perhaps a bit geeky, but it is bringing me to contemplate the power of contrast and harmony and how we interact with it.

I have a tendency towards productivity, which organically creates contrast and tension in my life. And I have to ask myself why. What is it about productivity that lives so strongly in my life? Why do I feel my plate needs to be ultra full?

And what happens if I let some of that go (which is what I’ve been leaning into over the last year as I inch towards slower, intentional living)? Who am I when I’m not producing or achieving something? What is it like to really sense into what is most important right now and let the rest be there on the back burner, out of sight. Or let go of. I may never be able to mentally multitask like I used to (due to concussion) and that is probably a gift. I don’t need to keep all that active in my brain, on the front burner, calling for attention.

What happens when I bring in more space, fewer projects and allow myself to do what is calling to me? Part of my challenge is that there are so many things that call to me, I need to discern and that means letting go, at least for right now. I can say, my blood pressure drops when I do that.  😊

I know that I feel the most joy when I don’t pressure myself, when I limit my projects and spend time doing what truly nourishes and nurtures me. It’s a shift I am, have been, and will continue to make as I go along. And, although not always easy, I do love it and my quality of life increases.

My years of being on someone else’s timeline are over (for the most part). It’s my timeline now – and so some of my desire for productivity comes from the excitement of wanting to do this and that. Contrast. Excitement. Stress. New horizons to explore.

And having a life I love, doing things I enjoy and slowing down creates the harmony I adore. Let’s flow, swoon and see what happens.

How do you relate to contract and harmony? Can you think of examples of feelings or experiences that are special because they are in contrast to other things? And how does harmony live and love you in your life? (oooh, this might be a fun painting class exploration….)

We are in crazy stressful times and it is mandatory that we each find a way to navigate it as best we can. Yes, ‘stress reduction’ is big business but the key is to understand its value, not annihilate it. I feel that as we each step more fully into our wholeness, our individual expression of Self, we will change the world. But it starts within each one of us. It’s a grassroots thing. You in?