“The only way out is through.” – Robert Frost
In the depths of our consciousness, a profound struggle unfolds – a battle for our very essence. This isn’t a war of nations or ideologies, but a personal conflict that each of us faces every day. It’s a war for our soul, our humanity, and our peace.
The Two Forces at Play
Like all wars, this one is fought between two sides: light and dark, good and evil, love and hate. But the battlefield is within us, and the stakes are our own well-being and spiritual growth.
DARKNESS TEMPTS, LIGHT ILLUMINATES
Darkness wages its war through temptation, desire, fear, and anger. It’s demanding, cunning, and seemingly relentless. In my experience, choosing darkness often feels like the path of least resistance – the default choice. Sometimes, it’s not even an active choice, but rather an absence of action when we’re called to stand up and speak our truth.
Light, conversely, doesn’t wage war in the traditional sense. It’s an ever-present force characterized by love, compassion, curiosity, forgiveness, and acceptance. Light doesn’t seek to win, for it understands that there is nothing to win – only to be and to illuminate.
The Daily Test
How do I know this? Because I am tested every day, many times per day. A temptation arises to do something I shouldn’t, or a thought emerges to keep me from doing what is right. It’s the embodiment of the age-old struggle: “I don’t do what I would like to do, but instead I do what I hate.”
FAILURE IS NOT FINAL, IT’S FORMATIVE
I’ve failed these tests more often than I’d care to admit. But what I’ve come to realize is that these tests aren’t about pass or fail in the conventional sense. They’re opportunities to gauge our strength, our knowledge, and most importantly, our readiness to grow.
Reframing failure
When we fail, it doesn’t mean we’re irredeemable or weak. It simply indicates that there’s something left to learn, to understand, and to move through. Failure is a natural part of life, manifesting as a choice that asks, “Are you ready to move on?”
If the answer is “no,” we’ll continue to be tested until we’re ready. Being stuck isn’t a permanent state – it’s a phase of gathering strength, cultivating curiosity, or perhaps still deriving some benefit from our current situation. This is perfectly okay. When we’re truly ready to move on, we will.
Questions for Reflection
The next time you face a moment of failure or struggle, consider these questions:
- What are you getting out of this current situation?
- What do you hope to gain by “passing” this test?
- What will it take for you to move forward?
These questions aren’t meant to be answered immediately. They’re seeds for reflection, designed to nurture your growth and understanding over time.
GROWTH IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION
Remember, this inner war isn’t about conquering an enemy. It’s about understanding ourselves, embracing our humanity, and gradually moving towards a place of greater peace and self-awareness. Each test, each failure, and each small victory is a step on this lifelong journey.
As you navigate your own inner conflicts, be patient with yourself. Recognize that the light within you is always present, even when obscured by the shadows of doubt or fear. Your task is not to banish the darkness entirely, but to learn to walk confidently within it, guided by your inner light.
What step will you take today towards understanding your inner struggles? How can you show compassion to yourself in the face of perceived failure? The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – and that step is always available to you, right here, right now.
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