Combination of Contradictions: Episode 426

We might often assume that two ideas are irreconcilable, that there is no way they can go together or coexist in the same space. When we look a little deeper, we might find that the two are actually entirely compatible.

For example, you might find a creative type who struggles every day to write ten pages. He never voices it, but his belief is that “Getting ahead takes hard work,” and “Hard work means suffering.” Even in something he does to express himself, he makes demands on himself.

If you ask this man the question “How can you be both productive and joyful?” his first reaction is likely to be that he can’t, that it’s impossible. If he keeps trying, he might come up with a new belief, something like “I like to express myself,” or “Creating can be fun and creative challenges are part of the fun.”

Combining the opposites can change how we interact with ourselves.

Read the transcript and find important links on the site: A Beautiful Thought – Combination of Contradictions: Episode 426