To be human is to live the constant dance between our highest aspirations and deepest wounds. We are not one or the other; we are both, at all times.
• We create beauty from pain: Our art, our music, our stories often emerge from the depths of heartbreak and loss. The shadow gives birth to light. (In The Whisper I wrote a poem to this giving birth)
• We are capable of profound love—and devastating harm: The same hands that nurture can destroy. Our challenge is to hold ourselves accountable while remaining compassionate.
• We strive for meaning in the face of chaos: The inevitability of death haunts us, yet it drives us to live with purpose, however fleeting or fragile it may feel.
• We are resilient—and fragile: We endure unimaginable trials, yet we can crumble under the weight of a single harsh word. Both truths coexist within us.
• We seek connection, yet fear intimacy: Our longing to be seen wars with the walls we build to protect ourselves from being hurt.
• We grow from failure—but resist it fiercely: The lessons we most need often come wrapped in discomfort, but it is in these moments of darkness that transformation takes root.
• We are endlessly curious, yet often blind to ourselves: We explore the universe but turn away from the parts of our inner world that scare us most.
This tension—this dance—is what it means to be alive. To reject the shadow is to deny half of who we are. To reject the light is to give up on what makes the struggle worthwhile.
True humanity lies not in erasing our contradictions, but in embracing them. It’s in the courage to ask, What can this teach me? instead of Why me? It’s in recognizing that our pain and joy are not opposites—they are partners, shaping the story of our lives.
The dance is messy, unpredictable, and often painful. But it is also beautiful. It is the essence of becoming human.
I’m going to write a series of blogs about this tension, this dance. You may consider subscribing to the newsletter (here) if you’d like to read them, or consider buying a copy of The Whisper fully dedicated to the dance between light and shadow and what it means to integrate all the facets (multitudes) we contain to be whole.
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