Monday Mindset: Yin and Yang
Lately, I’ve been fascinated with the Yin Yang symbol. For something so simple, the depth contained within could span entire book series (and, I’m sure, it has over the centuries).
Today I want to speak on only one element of the symbol: the contrasting dot within the center of each opposing side.
In the white side, there is a black dot; and in the black side, a white dot.
As novice fighters (and here I suppose I am using ring sports as a larger metaphor for life in general, if you haven’t already caught on over the years) we tend to think that confidence, bravery, and all of these positive emotions and states of mind will feel pure and unadulterated. That confidence is just a completely unshakeable, completely positive sense of self efficacy.
But that sort of dynamic only exists in children’s books.
In our reality, confidence doesn’t always feel so confident. There is doubt and a fear of failure at its center. Because without these fears acting upon us, there is no driving force to work, prepare, and build those skills that allow you to be successful in the first place.
At the center of everything is a tiny bit of its opposite.
So what, then?
Well.. feeling fear doesn’t make you any less courageous Feeling tired doesn’t mean you aren’t in good shape. Feeling jealousy doesn’t mean you aren’t grateful. And so on and so on.
Too often we let the tiny seed of these negative feelings grow into something much larger. But we should simply observe them and feel them for what they are: a balance of sorts, a necessary shadow to the more positive things in our lives.
If anything, fear their absence. But that’s a topic for another day!
