"Without contrary is no progression," said William Blake in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Our opposites, inconsistencies, contradictions, polarities define us, identify us, form and shape us, bring us forth full-born into the world of duality and denial. Where do you cancel yourself out? X-out yourself? Fail to be who you are by being who you also are? Where do you refuse to bear the pain of your inner-opposition by denying it, ignoring it, pretending it does not exist? Our contending truths bring each other forth-- they do not cancel each other out! We contradict ourselves! We cannot help it! Sometimes we do it like this, and sometimes we do it like that, and that's the way we do it. Balance and harmony, Kid. Balance and harmony! It's yin/yang all the way! WE are yin/yang all the way! Let it be so! Because it is! We equalize ourselves by being contrary to ourselves. Make room for your opposites, honor them, allow them to round you out, top you off, show you who you are and who you also are-- fully capable of being exactly who/what you need to be in each situation as it arises, no matter what! Where are you contradicting yourself? Do it more completely, more fully, more consciously, more appropriately, more freely! Have fun with it! With being fully capable of being/doing whatever the situation calls for, by being wholly who you are in every situation-- no matter what! Doing what is needed, never-minding what that may be! Pull yourself together by inviting all of your disparate parts to the party! And living your life as it needs to be lived-- as it needs you to live it-- anyway, nevertheless, even so!!! May it always be so!!!
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Jim Dollar's Photography and Philosophy 