I have prisms hanging from some of the windows in my apartment and, at this time of year, they create rainbows of color on ceilings and walls.  Each time I see these dancing patterns of color, I’m reminded of how a rainbow wouldn’t be complete without all its colors, and how it would be impossible to remove any color and still have a rainbow.  This generally gets me to thinking about diversity and wholeness – about how Nature thrives on difference.  I’m a fiend for difference.  When I was in college, my favorite classes involved anthropology, and the subject of ecology has always been high on my radar screen.  My love of difference, no doubt, is part of why being a psychotherapist is so nourishing for me.  I have an opportunity to discover many ways of seeing things, and many different responses and points of view in the people who come to see me. 

I watched a show on television recently that had to do with rituals from different cultures.  In the particular installment on that evening, young men were required to put their hands into gloves filled with stinging ants.  They had to keep their hands in the gloves for 10 full minutes, after which time their hands were black in color and they were in extreme pain.  In order to become a man in this culture, the gloves had to be worn 20 times.  I was particularly impressed with a young man who had been born into the tribe and had been raised elsewhere.  He wanted to return to his roots and, to do so, he chose to wear the gloves.  His ordeal was profound, as it was for all the men involved, and it moved me to see how deeply meaningful it was for everyone that he went through the experience – and committed to do it 19 more times so he could become a full-fledged man in his community.

As I watched the show, I was struck yet again by the tendency of nature to generate diversity.  I recalled how the most diverse eco-systems are also the most vital and resilient.  All of this reminded me of the extent of diversity represented by humanity’s cultures and rituals that exist all around the planet – and how the human species benefits from the depth of difference among us.   Living in New York City, I have a constant opportunity to experience difference.  People from all over the world come here and, especially during the summer months, different languages abound.  It’s hard to walk half a block and not hear a language other than English, which is a real delight to my ears!  My particular favorite is when I hear people speaking a language I can’t identify.   When this happens, I know I’m in touch with culture and way of perceiving the world I don’t understand and my curiosity kicks in.

And so, for this week’s experiment, I invite you to explore diversity and difference and to discover your responses to these elements of a healthy eco-system, be that a family, a community, a forest, an ocean, a planet.  If you have the opportunity to see a rainbow, notice how each and every color adds its part to the whole and what a loss it would be if any one of those colors were missing.  If you have the opportunity to experience someone who is different from you, notice what it’s like to experience that difference as a valuable part of wholeness.

Be sure to allow any mixed feelings that may emerge in the presence of diversity.  Often, we feel a flicker of fear when we’re confronted with something or someone different from our familiar experience.  Also notice how difference enriches you – how it teaches you about yourself and the world, revealing things you may not have noticed before.