Meaning Amongst Ashes

Somewhere along the way I became fond of the idea that life eventually slides into place. That at various points it might jolt us, and we regroup, but that there are periods of peaceful existence. Times where the mechanics of life are clicking along so smoothly that higher thought is easily accessible and flourishes.

Idealism of the immature mind. Fairytales. Yet not nearly as magical as reality.

The actuality is that life, yours and mine, is more akin to the tectonic plates. Always moving. Changing. Sometimes nearly unnoticeable, sometimes dramatic. We slide against one another, we grate, we clash, we separate, we join. We create beauty, drama, disaster, and vistas. The mirage of peaceful existence is superficial. Below the surface, in any of us, at any time, there exists movement that moment to moment changes the landscape of our lives and those around us.

Genius takes root not in the placidity of smooth soil, but as a result of chaos. The ultimate resiliency. We flourish, we extend ourselves, we reach. Hardship provides ideal conditions for ingenuity. That is the difference between the green and well meaning student with an IQ of 135 and the one who has life experience. Life is our best classroom. It will hone you. The truly resilient find meaning amongst ashes.

I'd like to stop and collect my thoughts; Present them in a tidy package. Yet there is no "pause" button. At best there is the lull between crests. The trick is to capture the calm and use it wisely. Amazing things happen when this is mastered. One of my favorite examples of this is the pioneer of existentialism, Viktor Frankl.

If you are waiting for life to slow down, realize it may not. Functioning through life means functioning through change. Meaning, motivation, inspiration, opportunity, and courage so often flourish in the soil of disaster. The question is, will we look?