The idiom “two sides of the same coin” is a very meaningful phrase that hold multiple applications in our world. With that said, on the surface it also falls short in the understanding of the three-dimensional world in which we live.
Look at any coin held off from a side angle. You will quickly notice that the coin has three sides, not two. The edge of the coin brings in the third dimension; one that holds the true meaning of the statement itself. The coin is much more than the sum of the two images on the two prominent sides. What lies in the middle is the reason the side images can even exist. Once more, The Power of the Wisdom of Three can be held in the palm of your hand.
This saying is usually “coined”, pun intended, as a reference to the opposites of any one’s true nature. Meaning that we cannot determine the coin’s value just by considering a single engraved image found on either one of the two opposite sides. The same can be said about people. Whether we show the world the good that we do or the mistakes that we make; our value is the sum of both sides and the often-ignored middle. After all it is the middle that allows the two side images to exist. This is why that I believe it is the important middle that should not be overlooked.
Consider how our whole is made up of all three sides, not just the two that we intentionally showcase to the world. The images we project through our actions will either be good, bad, or neutral. We make choices every day that will either benefit, harm, or have no effect on the three entities of every solution. Even though our true value to society comes through the good that we do, as with the example of a coin, our conceived value doesn’t vary immediately when we do bad. The intrinsic value of a coin is found in the metal in the middle and our intrinsic value rests in the whole of our being, mind, body and soul.
Cannot a coin be used to fund good as well as evil and at the same value?
The tri-images that we present to the world are created through the tri-nature of our body, mind, and soul which in turn will be featured in the tri-personas of our personal, professional, and spiritual lives. No one person can always be bad or good nor a success or a failure; we are all flawed just like every coin is less than pure and because of use, somewhat tarnished. As with the coin, it takes both imperfect impressions and the less than distinguishable middle to make us whole.
Even though we are flawed, it should not hinder us from doing all that we can to increase our value by doing more good than bad. As I mentioned before, the coins value does not decline immediately when used to fund inappropriate endeavors but, over time, when the citizens of a society produce too much inappropriate behaviors, the coin’s value begins to collapse, the worth of the coin will decline. This downturn always occurs because of the accumulation of an abundance of poor decisions made by the majority of its citizens. The same can be said about a prosperous society or business; it only rises in value when the majority of individuals contributes to the growth and well-being of the whole. It is this well-being, funded by the selfless giving of ourselves, that supports and enhances the value of the coin through positive actions of the many. When more members of the team do well by their fellow members, the stronger the whole will be and the higher the net worth of the greater good.
Next time you hold a coin in your hand, toss it around, notice the three sides and think about your personal growth. Your growth will affect that of your family, your work, and your spiritual life. The worth of that coin is made up of three sides as is yours.
If this is my last post, I want all to know that there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.
Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Vice President / Adjunct Instructor at The American College of Financial Services and author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”