Serious Relaxation

As I whirl through my day, juggling responsibilities and prioritizing my attention to a variety of tasks, I must remind myself of another oxymoron. If I believe in what I hope to accomplish, I give 100 percent to the task. At the same time, I am aware that I am not indispensable. It is possible to focus intently to a purpose and yet let it go, understanding that it is both critically important yet (in the big picture) not important at all. This would not be true if I were to give up and say, "Nothing matters. All is futile." To be alive is to breathe such paradoxes again and again.

Constant Change

Nothing new under the sun / Change is constant
There's an old proverb that states, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." I like to view that statement in the form of a spiral. Each year we witness the same seasons- winter, spring, summer, and fall-- yet we see them in new time. Older people ask "what is this next generation coming to?" In fact, it seems that question has been asked throughout the ages. Rebellion against the status quo, revolt against authority...it is as old as mankind. Yet, we have never lived in an age as we do today with instant communication and technological advancement. Are things the same or are they different? I say...both. That is an example of the theory of oppositional truth.

Now and Then

Plan for the future / Live for the moment
(Be responsible / All we have is now)
Oxymoron: planned spontaneity

Subatomic-Astronomic

In what direction do we look for what is important-- to the tiniest detail or the big picture?
The tiniest detail is important / the big picture is important
(a microscopic particle = the magnitude of the universe)
Oxymorons: gigantic minutia, minuscule magnitude

Theory of Oppositional Truth

For years now, I have been contemplating this world of opposites in which we live. I like to call it my "theory of oppositional truth" which is an idea that includes more than just temporal life but also the eternal life. Thinking about both concrete reality and abstract reality requires both scientific fact and imaginative faith. In that context, truth is the simultaneous balance of all sides: possible, impossible, probable and improbable. Yet, it is more than balance because all sides are true at the same time. Two things (which seem opposed) can both be valid.