the symphony

When we begin to take responsibility, we are like the conductor of a large symphony orchestra. The various instruments are the parts of us, all our ways of being, our needs, wants, moods, etc. The symphony is our life. Sometimes we see parts of ourselves that we decide are bad, wrong and undesirable and that should be gotten rid of. This is like having the string section hear the cymbals and say, "Oh, no, that sounds awful! We've got to get rid of all that noise! All we need are stringed instruments because they sound so beautiful." (Beauty clearly being in the ear of the beholder.) But an orchestra made up of only stringed instruments would be lacking, incomplete. It could make beautiful sounds, but it couldn't make all music. Only one section of instruments could hate another. The conductor can hear the beauty in all and knows that each is essential to the whole. When we need a drum roll in life, a violin simply won't do! So even though we were taught to believe we need to hold onto this and push that away, it is simply not true. When we hear all the instruments playing together in harmony, we will be very grateful that we could not get rid of even the smallest, apparently most insignificant, piece.