Contradictions

Is it just me or does it seem a lot of the so-called sound pieces,of advice in the world contradict each other? For instance, since I was a little boy, I have been told how important it is for me to save my money. Put whatever I make in a savings account. Build up a nest egg. In my own imperfect way, I have at least tried to do that. But as I got older, I kept hearing "if I want to make money, then I have to spend it." but if I do that, then what about the money I am supposed to be saving? The government keeps telling us it wants to lower taxes so we can keep more of "our money," yet everyone knows the nation's economy only flourishes when people spend their dough.

Here is another: "silence is golden." How many times has that been drummed into our heads as children? Yet as we grow, we are told to"lift our voices" as the only way to make a difference in this world is to be heard or speak out. That makes sense, of course, but how can I do that if I am being silent? No question, these and many other contradictory messages can and do leave one confused and with little guidance as to how best to proced. Save or spend? Be quiet or speak out? I do not know about everyone else, but for me, these mixed signals can and do leave me with feelings of uncertainty from time to time.

The purpose here is not to reconcile these and other opposing pieces of advice. Rather, it is to acknowledge them and to suggest one way for us to try and make them fit as we deal with the day-to-day challenges of the world. For me, communication is the key. When faced with contradictory directives or forks in a road, it helps to be honest about the dilemma this presents and then try to systematically reconcile each message with the circumstance that has brought us to such a point. In other words, each piece of advice, regardless of how contradictory it might be, is valid so long as we can properly apply it to the moment. Good communicating on the part of ourselves and others can do that.