Struggling Between Light and Dark.

     I think everyone struggles at some time in their life with feeling dark or the darkness inside of them. There are those that would say that this is because that person is doing something wrong, that darkness only comes from doing dark things or dark people.  If that were exclusively true, however, then why do bad things happen to good people?  Why? Because darkness is a part a life.  It is what we do with that darkness or when those dark feelings come that really matters.  In essence, it comes down to a choice.  Light cannot shine its brightest in the absence of darkness, it is only with a background of darkness that its brightest light can be seen.  Therefore, the darkness does not have to be bad but can actually be the driving factor to good.  Again, it is about choice.  How will the darkness shape you?  Will it become a detriment to your character or a defining push to your betterment.  These are all things I struggle with daily in my life.
     As I write, I try to explore this concept between the opposite and contrasting pulls of light and dark and even the gray in between.  What inherently makes someone evil?  What defines someone as good, and is that by societies definition or by their own?  What turns a good man bad, and a bad man good?  These are questions philosophers have been puzzling over for centuries.  It is interesting though that this is a concept that has tested the ages since probably the beginning of the world.
     If we are all really honest with ourselves, it is not the absence of darkness that makes us good or evil, it is the choices we make and what we learn from the light and dark that defines us, makes us interesting, helps us grow, and ultimately leads us to be better people.  So the next time you judge someone because you see the bad in them, remember this... the only real power darkness has in our lives is the power we give it or the negative power we inflict on others.
   In saying this, I in no way profess to be an expert or perfect.  After all, it certainly is a struggle for me to find balance.  And, some days I fail miserably.  My only hope is to someday understand myself enough to embrace the darkness so as to only shine brighter in the dark.  My hope too is that by exploring this in my writing I will be able to explore this concept within myself.