When confronted with images of war, we feel bad. It is hard to wrap your mind around how the world can be so cruel and mean. When we see young kittens frolicking around, we feel good. With these two opposing images, it is difficult to accept that there is no such thing as good or bad. Although we desperately want to uniformly assign one of the two words to any life situation, it is never objective. Everything positive has some negativity in it, and vice versa. And again, it is subjective. Every individual has a different interpretation. And even within every individual itself, there could be multiple interpretations and opinions of the very same situation.

Contrast

The negativity is necessary for contrast. Without it, the positive side would not even exist. You cannot draw with a white pencil on a white piece of paper. You cannot draw with a black pencil on a black piece of paper. Life needs this contrast. In fact, the contrast, is life itself! Instead of regarding good and bad as opposites, you could see them as complements. They need each other to exist. You can observe this everywhere in nature.

Religion

I believe. I am a believer. But I simply cannot explain to you in words what I believe. I can only firmly say I do not believe in religion. To me, religion is a extreme reduction of reality, void of promoting critical thinking. Is religion therefore bad? No. And yes! It is both! It provides many people guidelines in life and therefore helps them, but it has a tendency of rejecting or eradicating objects and ideas that do not fit its simplified reality. Many religions claim that God is everything. God is everything. Everything. That also means God encompasses the good and the bad. Both! That is because they are not opposites, they are complements. They are essential for life. And, as many religions say, God is life! I believe so as well.

What should we do in life?

These simple words sound great, but where do they leave us? What should we do in life? Although we so desperately want to do good in life, doing bad in life is thus not bad either? All is good, even the bad? I found this very frustrating. I spent many years of my life to find out what I wanted in this life. And then it turned out that apparently it doesn't matter? You can have a meaningless life or a meaningful life, both are fine, because they both provide contrast, which is essential for life?

Creating life

I believe that the answer is found in nature. Nature will always find a way to create life. Nature wants to grow, it wants to create more life. That is why plants carry so many seeds in them. Some of the seeds will sprout, some won't. The sprouts will turn into plants, creating life. Some seeds that don't sprout will be eaten by the birds, dropped as excrement somewhere else and sprout, therefore creating life. Some seeds will not be eaten and rot, providing fertile soil, creating life.

Why your life doesn't matter

So the good news indeed is that you are creating life, with whatever you do... or don't! It is up to you to make your life journey interesting and enjoyable for you. Don't let someone else judge you. It is your life, and you are creating more life.