Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty,
only because there is ugliness.
All can know good as good only because there is evil.

Being and nonbeing produce each other.
The difficult is born in the easy.
Long is defined by short, the high by the low.
Before and after go along with each other.

So the sage lives openly with apparent duality
and paradoxical unity.
The sage can act without effort
and teach without words.
Nurturing things without possessing them,
he works, but not for rewards;
he competes, but not for results.

When the work is done, it is forgotten.
That is why it lasts forever.

~2^nd verse of the Tao

I can’t stand it anymore!  Between the Presidential debates and all of the childish commercials I see around this election, not to mention the anger in the world around us in religion, economics and education…I am DONE!

I was reading an article in the paper this morning about a group of parents in San Diego who are pondering legal action against a school system for offering yoga to the students.  Their belief is that offering yoga is indoctrinating the young in Eastern religion.  The last time I checked, yoga had amazing health benefits such as connecting the mind and body to boost healing, reduce stress, tone muscles and help the mind to focus inward making the person clearer and centered.  Being an ex-President of a Board of Education, I understand why the schools system would offer such a thing as yoga when you observe the stress our youth are under in today’s world.

What concerns me most is the extreme stance I am watching in our world around being “right.”  The “I’m right and you’re wrong” philosophy has reached new heights in every corner of our society.  Everyone has a Divine right to their opinion as well as a Divine right to live their life according to whatever beliefs they choose.  We were given free will for a reason…that reason being to choose the life we want to live.  Look around…are you living in heaven or are you living in hell?

In everything in life there is duality.  Duality is what makes things whole.  There can be no light without darkness; no right without wrong; no male without female; no fat without skinny.  Both have to exist to make something whole.

In order to change the world, I have a few suggestions of things that you can practice on a daily basis to allow duality to exist while at the same time seeing the wholeness and unity in what is presented to you.

1. Drop judgment – There is a big difference between judging and observing.  Judging includes making an assumption; observing includes stating a fact.
2. Drop should – I tell my audiences to stop “shoulding” on themselves all of the time.  Instead of saying, “this should be this way…” allow things to just be.
3. Release attachment to outcome – Define what you want and allow the Heavens to determine the “how.”  Detach from how you think it would be best for that thing you want to show up in your life and trust that God knows what he is doing and knows what is best for you.
4. Stop trying – As Nike puts it so well, JUST DO IT!  There is no try, as wise Yoda says, there is only DO or DON’T DO.
5. Choose to NOT defend yourself – The next time you are faced with a situation where you have the urge to “be right” and defend yourself or your beliefs, STOP.  Go within and remember that each person has a right to their own opinion and a right to find their own path upon which to learn their lessons.

Remember, you are God’s hands, feet and voice in this world.  Do him proud.

Allowing,

Chris

Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Purchase your copy of Chris Sopa’s new book, “Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live:  How Changing Your Thoughts will Change Your Life” published by Balboa Press.

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