I wanted to talk this week about Contrast. In preparation of my move to Oregon I have been sorting through hundreds of beads. I was fascinated at my process in doing this, and I discovered that it created a beautiful analogy for the process of self-development.

Look at the picture to the left? Where or how would you start?

Well, I found that I started with the beads that created the biggest contrast in the bunch. In this case it was the white freshwater pearls. I would focus on this one type and color of bead and remove it from the chaos of beads. What I quickly discovered is that once I removed the white beads a new bead would now be the bead that stood out with the most contrast. I would then focus on that bead! Each time a new bead would become the focal point, or biggest contrast in the bunch, whereas before the other beads had been removed it was basically invisible. I realized how this task was a wonderful lesson for personal development and so beautifully paralleled how we can tackle contrast in our own personal lives.

Just imagine each like bead as being a specific "problem" or circumstance causing "contrast" in our life. The best way to tackle it would be to focus on that biggest contrast first. As we gathered up and learned how to handle all the pieces of that specific problem we would not only reduce the chaos left behind but another couple of things would happen. 

First, if we really focused on one specific area in our life causing us contrast, as soon as we finished cleaning up that specific issue guess what would happen? We will have given the problems of lesser contrast the ability to now be seen. By removing the bigger contrast we can now focus on problems that were not so visible before (but that were still creating chaos.) Imagine that for each level of contrast we work through we give opportunity for something new to come to the surface, stand out, be seen and then addressed.

Another thing I noticed as I was doing my bead sorting is that as I gathered all the beads of a certain type and color and moved on to the next bunch of contrasting beads, the more layers of beads I removed, I would periodically find a bead or two of a group I thought I had already addressed. These were always a surprise to come across but so easily gathered up and joined with it’s mates.

This parallels real life in that many times even though we think we had completely worked through one of our problems, every once in a while we will come across little bits left behind that will pop up and remind us of their existence. It’s like they are saying “You who, remember me?” Are you really done with me? I think this is a great opportunity for us to verify for ourselves that we really have effectively managed that original problem and it shows by how much easier and quicker it is to process and put behind us.

The final insight I discovered during my bead sorting mission is that the darker it got the more difficult it was to see contrast. I had started with natural bright sunlight and as the day wore on and the light dimmed, I found it harder and harder to define the different colors and contrast. The only way I could remedy this was by turning on all the available lights in the room and I even brought up to the desk two portable battery powered lanterns. This was the only way I could once again make out the colors and again see the contrast between the beads.

This too, I believe is a great message reminding us that if we personally are feeling in a “dark” place this may not be the best time to be looking for the contrast in our lives. When we are trying to see from that perspective your personal darkness pervades and all the contrast blends together and can seem overwhelming. I’m not saying to avoid self development in these times. Quite the opposite. What I am suggesting is that in these times we find ways to start bringing light back into our lives before we start trying to address our contrast. Friends, family, professionals, even nature can help cast just enough light to allow us to see contrast for what it is… individual concerns that can be tackled one by one. If we do not first find some light, we will only see our problems through the perspective of our darkness as an all encompassing, overpowering, heap of chaos. And nobody wants to tackle THAT!

I know these are simplified and generalized examples but I think sometimes analogies such as these can give us a new way to look at issues that you might be dealing with in your personal life. I find it amazing and love how often life creates messages for us that help us better understand difficult or abstract life circumstances. I hope by sharing how I saw this through my eyes, it has given you an opportunity to see your own life contrast from a new perspective.

If you desire wanting to dive even deeper into the contrast in your life, or if you maybe even need a little “light” shined on you first, please reach out to me for a free connection session. I would love to help you shine some light, sort through your contrast and reduce your chaos. You’ve got this and I’ve got you!

Please click on the image below if you’d like to schedule a time that we can talk.