(What) do you believe? v.6

It is said that opposites attract. That popular notion is being sorely tested these days, as we appear to be living in a time when polarities rule, where being opposite, indeed, in opposition, is informing our opinions in significant ways. We see this phenomenon politically, socially, and economically. Not to overdo it, but it seems at the moment that opposites don’t so much attract, as attack.

With this in mind, I’ve decided to make opposites the theme of this end-of-year viewsletter …

Before getting into the meat of the matter, let’s warm up. Let’s take a peek at last year’s viewsletter, which focused on what is topical and what is timeless. I’d like to share a few responses that include the amusing, the distressing and the reassuring:

What is topical …

I believe fake news is boring

I believe The U.S. Constitution is under siege

I believe social media is turning children into robots

What is timeless …

I believe grace is about going slow to go fast

I believe hope feeds possibility

I believe nature deserves a fighting chance

OK. Now, on to the opposites!

Here you will find 12 fill-in-the-blank statements. As before, there is one for each of the 12 days of Christmas. This year, these 12 are organized into six pairs of opposites, so you can reflect on them, together.

Fill in some, or all of them with whatever comes to mind. Fill them in, in your head, on a piece of paper, on your computer, and/or send me an email, or post your answers as comments on this blog.

Ready, set …

• I believe joy _____________________________________
• I believe sorrow___________________________________

 

• I believe blame___________________________________
• I believe praise___________________________________

 

• I believe abundance________________________________
• I believe scarcity___________________________________

 

• I believe bravery___________________________________
• I believe cowardice_________________________________

 

• I believe guilt _____________________________________
• I believe innocence ________________________________

 

• I believe captivity___________________________________
• I believe freedom___________________________________

Got your own idea about opposites that shed light on the world we live in today?

What are they and what do you believe about each? Fill them in here:

I believe________________________________________________

I believe________________________________________________

I’m looking forward to learning what you believe.

May 2018 be a year you can believe in.