I was reading this article which said, “Multiple choices should be whittled down to absolute black and white to ensure clarity of decision”. It explained that interactions and directions that are not laid out like this, will distract and diffuse efforts.

Good management gyan to give – but it did not ring correct to me. “Absolute black and white” – is there even such a thing in the complex, multifaceted human mind ?

Between the black and the white are the myriad shades of grey…and that’s where we live our lives – shape our values, form our relationships, find our destiny. There is very rarely black or white for us — just degrees of light and shade. And it is these degrees that paint the portrait of the person. The difference is only in the degrees — and yet what a difference that can make.

Our strength and conviction in values vary from accepting and doing the wrong thing, to showing our disagreement but accepting wrong anyway, to not pointing out wrong but not doing it either, to speaking against and refusing to do wrong, to also preventing wrong being done or happening to others.

Our generosity can range from the person who wants only for himself, to one who will give a bit, to him who will give as much as he can, to the person who will give more than he is able to, to finally the person who gives without thinking – gives completely of himself.

“I love !”- we say. And then proceed to love our family, our home, our friends, dogs, cats and horses; books and movies, music and a beautiful morning; a job, a car, a favorite pair of jeans; food, drink and sleep… ! All love? Shaded again !

Our interactions move from the aloof and unknowing, to the formal; from the cordial to the comfortable; from the casual to the friendly…to the freedom of true expression and connect.

Our perfect days are made up of many different moods; our happiest moments are accompanied by tears, and our darkest hours tend to show a sliver of silver lining peeking through.

Our relationships include those who always stop for a hello, and those who always think of us; the ones who talk to us, and those we talk to ; those who listens and they who care… ranges from those whose lives interject briefly with us, to those who populate our days, to the ones who become a part of our life, and they that become a part of our heart.

Our lives are shades of grey. Our relationships are shaded. Our thoughts are varying shades, and so are our values, our actions. There is no stark white or black—no binary code—only degrees of difference from 2 extremes – the unique shading that combines to make each of us different, makes our experience of life different.

And then, in all these shades of grey, are splashes of vivid color – the blue sky of our hopes, the golden laughter, the red moments of anger, the glinting steel of character, the multicolored dreams we see, and the few special people who defy the monotone and add in warm hues of joy.

There is no black or white. Just shades of grey. And the colors of emotion.