This episode begins with the word polarization being chosen as the dictionary word of the year and ironically being the one thing that both sides of the political spectrum agree upon. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines polarization as “a division into sharply distinct opposites in which opinions and no longer range along a continuum, but become concentrated at opposing extremes.” When polarization becomes the key word, extreme levels of tension are being experienced, both on the collective level and in the psyche of each individual person.

At critical times on Earth, the basic elements and energies of life polarize. We become crucified by seemingly irreconcilable aspects of a conflict that was under the surface all along. When that happens, simply choosing one side or the other in order to avoid the tension and the uncertainty simply causes the dilemma to reform in another area or at a different level. At that point, it becomes important to know that a tension of opposites is the precondition for creation and for any meaningful change.

While the two poles of a polarity seem to be irreconcilable opposites, they are secretly one. For in a true polarity, like light and dark or up and down, one side cannot exist without the other. Like night and day, existence itself is an essential unity, appearing as an oppositional duality. Seen that way, meaningful change and true transformation are the secret aims of the tension inside life itself.

While great uncertainty and fear can cause people to quickly choose one side of each dilemma, maturity, a word which can mean both “ripe and timely,” is related to our ability to withstand and understand the tension of the opposites. When we hold the tension of opposites long enough a surprising third way can appear that allows a truly creative solution that renews the energy of life itself.

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