When Contrast is Necessary in Life

When Contrast is Necessary in Life Variability

When Contrast is Necessary in Life: Personally as an artist, you become aware of visual contrasts with every artwork that you create. When you enhance a certain element or area on the canvas, you can create a “push and pull” effect. Meaning you can move the viewer’s focus to certain areas by adding darker and lighter elements to your artwork creating contrast. Life can be a little like paints dancing across the canvas. Contrast directs your attention where it needs focus.

Some would say, art imitates life, but in the case of contrast, the darkest of times in your life instruct and guide your energies to move forward into the light. Providing knowledge and forward momentum to grow and learn. The times in my life when a contrast became prominent, it helped me to move out of my comfort zone and learn from a negative experience and explore other avenues to learn and grow.

Contrast is sometimes viewed as a negative force in our lives. Because it shakes up your life and causes discomfort. But really, we experience contrast every single day with sunrise and sunset. We need the light and warmth from the sun to nurture every element on earth, just as much as we need the dark of the night to encourage, sleep, rejuvenation and reflection.  

Contrast is especially effective in breaking up stagnation. It helps us break out of our normal routine of having our lives a certain way. When contrast plays a starring role in your life, take it as a cue to break those habits and norms. We as humans like routine, it’s comfortable and non stressful. But it does not make for an environment for learning. Contrast allows us to grow past preconceived notions and negative experiences in life and learn from them. The caveat is, are you genuinely open to learning from them? 

A simple example of contrast is a black board in a coffee house displaying the day’s specials. Without the black background of the board, the white or colored markers would never have the impact that it does. Nor would you literally see the writing on the wall. Life can be a little like that…when it is the darkest and most confusing and foreboding, a series of events just happen, and eventually lead you to the information, person, situation or resolution that is most helpful to you in your life. 

Contrast Can Actually Be Your Guide

While you are going through a pronounced contrast period in life. It may not seem like it at the time, but contrast helps you to grow as a human. It “the negative experience”, really is not negative in the grand scheme of things, it is a series of events in your life that helps you to evolve and provides information that you need to move forward. Contrast is not evil or the devil messing with your life. It is a platform to learn and grow to your highest potential.

Contrast Produces Desire

When you experience contrast in your life it causes you to ask for things. Whether it is conscious or unconscious. Sometimes saying it out loud to someone or perhaps just a thought in your mind that you keep to yourself helps to make it more real and substantial. When you do this, you have already started the contrast process of the energy flowing towards change. Everyone chooses their own unique contrast experience, and no two are alike. Contrast promotes variety in your life, because it helps you to decide what you want and what you don’t want.  Your personal desire is born from contrast. 

Contrast is Vital for Clarity

Contrast provides clarity in many ways. If you don’t like where you work and want a change. If you have a health condition and want to get better. You get a clearer idea of what you don’t want and start coming up with ways for the things that you do want

Everyone chooses their own contrast situation. It’s kind of like going to a clothing store and picking out a new outfit. You see many different styles and colors. Then you pick a few that seem comfortable and fit your lifestyle. Then you try on a few different outfits to find the one that  best suits you. It’s very similar with contrast, you chose what is best for your individual learning. You don’t consciously make this choice.

Once You Define the Contrast Don’t Sit In It

Once you know what you don’t want…don’t stay in the contrast zone. Meaning don’t keep the same contrast dialogue going. If you don’t like what’s happening take measures to change your situation, make adjustments in your life for the change you want to materialize. An example would be having trouble at work. But instead of making a change, you talk about it. Day after day, week after week, staying stuck in the same story. You talk about it with friends, co-workers, spouse, anyone that will listen to it. At first you’re trying to find a solution and need a sounding board. But as time moves on and the story does not change or improve, you are in the complaining mode. This is not a useful approach in using your contrast to improve your life. When you rehash the story, you are staying in a low energy vibration that will only promote more of the very thing that you are trying to eliminate. 

The secret to making the contrast moments in your life work for you is taking some time to realize what isn’t working. What changes do you need to make and how can you make them?

Keeping momentum in a forward motion is the best way to keep positivity and the best energy and opportunities flowing into your life.  

In the end, I think Bette Davis’s character, Margo Channing in the movie All About Eve, has the best quote that really resonates with this topic, “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” And in some instances it may be the best advice to navigate to your best life.  

“Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to

be a bumpy night.”  

Bette Davis as Margo Channing