Let It Burn
The Rising Phoenix Reveals the Secret to Growth.
“Growth is not additive. Emotional growth is actually a subtractive process.”
Legend sometimes leaves you spellbound. Ancient texts dating back to the fifth century B.C.E. were the first to refer to the sacred sunbird called a phoenix. Revered by many cultures over thousands of years, this crane-like bird allegedly lived 500 years before yielding to its death by fire. Rising from the ashes that remained was a reborn beneficiary whose flight rose in a halo of bright light.
So what's the learning here? Is it possible that this mythical creature, whose soaring nature rivals the sun's brilliance, teaches the true secret of life?
When Dr. Shefali Tsabary offered her revolutionary reminder that growth is subtractive rather than additive, it struck a chord in the quietest part of my being. For all that's accumulated over the lifespan of a human, it's what's lost that's often the most informative.
When you look back at the challenging times you've endured, you might trace a common thread: the unshakable wisdom that becomes a guiding light for your future.
Your most profound transformation may require surrendering to the death of all you once knew to be true. And on the other side of that yielding? A shining light as bright as the rays of the sun.
So take courage. The next time you're called to suffer, you may offer this mantra: Let it burn.
Here's to the rising of your inner phoenix.