Metamorphisis

At the precipice, we will transcend. The precipice, or the tipping point, is often frightening yet necessary. There, our nobility is exemplary in the sense that we choose courage and bravery over cowardliness and avoidance in the face of fear. The precipice is where we change and transform, yet it is not where the paradigms within us shift, preparing us for something greater; it is not where purpose is born. Experiencing such tipping points is actually quite glamorous, for we can display our new-found confidence and exhibit our newly refined skills. Yet, this is not where strength is gained. It is not where raw skills are refined, nor where we are battle-tested. 

No, that place is much darker and lonelier. That place is where our entire being approaches life’s bottleneck, where we are squeezed so tightly that we must shed every trait and skill that is not absolutely necessary. This is the place where our entire existence hangs in the balance, and any hope of a life well-lived hinges on our precise response to each and every obstacle in our path. This place does not warn us of its coming. Its very purpose is to surprise us, to catch us off guard, unprepared and minimally equipped for the grueling process of learning life’s deepest lessons. Here, we are stretched beyond our limits and our capacity to endure is most tested. These times force us to consciously decide to give our all, for we need to know we can give our all and what we are made of.

And how beautiful it is to endure! What splendor we experience when coming out the other side scraped, bruised, torn, scuffed, cracked, broken, healed, mended, polished, clearheaded, and tough as hell. We become untouchable for a moment. But it's only for a moment, for while we are soaking in the victory, life has already formulated its next deep, grueling lesson for us. But we are not ignorant of this. We know, and we crack a smile at it, thinking to ourselves, "Bring it!"