I actually think I unironically found the "open secret" to a truly happy and fulfilling life⌠and even though I personally still struggle to stay true to it, just aiming for it already feels fulfilling enough!
The key to happiness, I think, is understanding and living according to Yin-Yang. Let me ramble a bit about it...
Okay, so first of all, you have the circle. Such an insanely powerful symbol all on its own. A circle represents something whole, something complete. Itâs the symbol of everything in existence...the entire universe itself, "wrapped up" in one perfect shape. Or, more personally, life itself.
Then you have a squiggly line dividing a black and white side. And those two colors are so important! Because black and white donât just mean "good and bad." No, they represent all opposites. Positive and negative things. Light and darkness. Chaos and order. Day and night. Feminine and masculine. Being goofy and happy, and being serious and responsible. Life and death. Every single opposite in the universe.
And the line itself... Well, itâs not simply a straight. If it were, it would suggest pure separation, stillness, a world where opposites never touch. But instead, it moves. It curves, it flows, it almost dances. Like the black and white arenât just opposing forces, but partners. Are they fighting? Are they in harmony? Maybe both. Because opposites create movement. Opposites create change.
And then, the most important part of all. The part that really makes me understand life and believe in the goodness of the world:
The dots inside each side.
The white dot inside the black. The black dot inside the white.
That means that no opposite is ever truly "pure." There is always a little bit of light in the darkness. There is always a little bit of darkness in the light. No happiness exists without a little sadness. No sadness exists without a little joy. No order without a bit of chaos. No chaos without a bit of order. No days without a dark cloud, and no nights without twinkling stars.
So thenâŚfor me at least, thereâs always a tiny bit of sparkly littlespace inside being a responsible adult. And thereâs always a tiny bit of serious adult worries and thoughts inside littlespace.
And finally, the most beautiful thing: the whole symbol is in balance.
Yin and Yang arenât fighting to destroy each other. They coexist. They actually need each other to exist. And tbh...I think thatâs the secret of life.
We need darkness for there to be light. We only live because we will one day die. Even the bad things in life contain a little good, and even the good things arenât purely perfect. And somehow, in the grandest, most cosmic way possible⌠it all balances out.
Thatâs why I try to embrace every part of myself. My little side and my big side. My joy and my struggles. I try to always be balanced. And when life feels out of balance, it just feels like something is "off," you know? And that's why I accept the countless opposing things in life. Because without these opposing things, life wouldn't even exist.
Anyways, thanks for coming to my TED Talk! I hope I can help at least one person see how beautiful and powerful Yin-Yang is. And maybe, just maybe, it actually helps someone find a little more balance in their life.
Have a wonderful day everyone! đ
