I went to an excellent seminar called “Selling Your Soul” yesterday, and Marie Forleo said something fantastically in line with where I am right now:
“Every new level of growth comes with a meltdown…Growth is messy. You have to burn everything and build for the next level of growth.”
How true. It has always been true for me—each time that my Being is called to grow to a new level of Being-ness—each time that I feel the need to take on even greater responsibility for myself—each time my vibrational field shifts up a notch, requiring me to play at a higher level of this grand game we call life, I have some kind of breakdown.
Oh, it manifests itself in lots of different ways. Sometimes more internally, and sometimes spectacularly externally as well—but the breakdowns are always there, and always in measure with the size of the impending growth on the other side of the precipice.
We have been told all of this by so many of our myths and spiritual teachers:
The metaphor of the Phoenix, who must die in his own ashes in order to rise to even greater heights, tells this tale beautifully.
Joseph Campbell tells us that before the hero can complete his journey, he must go through “the belly of the whale”—a trial where we face our darkest hour.
The spiritual teacher Gurdjieff used to say that we need to create a “shock” in order to fill the long void in the final interval when we move up an octave, or we will fail.
I know all of these things in my head, and have been through them several times in life, but still, every time I come to this place, I am overwhelmed by the level of discomfort and internal turmoil I experience.
Letting go of layers of ego that you won’t need for the next part of the journey is never easy.
Those bits of ego are SO familiar and secure—even if you know they are bricks in the wall of your soul’s prison. As much as most of us crave freedom, we also fear the responsibility of being truly free. So often, our fears overtake us, and we flock to a secure cage rather than face the fierce winds of unknown opportunity.
This is “the lurker at the threshold.” The gatekeeper who only allows the truly courageous through the portal of truth. This lurker is no one but our weaker selves, the older version of ourselves that craves comfort over freedom.
During the darkest times, I have to remember the other times I have been in this place.
It really does happen “at every new level of growth.”
I have to remember that no matter how bleak it may have seemed at the time, no matter how painful that period was, if I kept moving forward, kept moving closer to whatever truth was being revealed to me at the time, I always made it through the darkness to a better place.
And that, in fact, the only way around, is through. Turning back is not really an option, because you’ll always know your failure. Deep down, you’ll know. And stopping in the dark places is like deciding to spend the Summer in Hell.
The only way around is through.
So, onward, warriors. Overcome the lurker of fear and comfort that stands between you and the next version of you. As the song says, “Let go. Because there’s beauty in the breakdown.”
And there’s even more beauty once you get through it.
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05.13.2011
As the fabulous D + M said at #SYSoul, you are a very smart man, David!
And I really enjoyed the Q you asked there as well! 
That part about meltdowns really struck me, as well. As I look back, I can see how it’s been true in my lifeany times, and continues to be so now, as I am currently going through a meltdown – just didn’t realize what it was!
I loved your line about how are fears overtake us and we “flock to a secure cage rather than face the fierce winds of unknown opportunity”. I’ve been THERE a few times too.
Just reading that, I felt this strength rise up in me, and a desire to face that wind, to ride it, spread my wings and let it take me where it will! 
Thank you for this beautiful post this morning!
Great stuff David. Let the Phoenix emerge!
Thanks, Jess! It was a privilege to share the space with so many amazing women, including the fabulous Danielle + Marie. I learned so much, and I am still processing the day.
Best wishes as you work through your meltdown. See you on the other side.
Thanks, Arman. It’s emerging– WHOA– intensely! You are one of my inspirations. Looking forward to working much more with you, my brother.
[...] For example, today, I received a comment from a reader of mine linking to a post of his he wanted to share with me. His post, and the quote he shared above there sums my experience up beautifully. Read it here. [...]
Wonderful. Our connection today is a true testament to ‘spooky action at a distance’… haha- down to you quoting Frou Frou “Let Go” which I have played here all week… Thank you, I can now say that I know intimately what it feels like to be aligned with and connected to supportive ever present other souls that I have yet to even meet- Super Cool. Amen to that. And much love and light to you, Tancie
This is a powerful post. I especially love the quote:
“The only way around is through.”
Sometimes we have to plough ahead even though the road looks daunting.
And you got to go to Sell Your Soul? Ah, lucky you. I had obligations and couldn’t. I would have given my eye teeth to be there. It sounds like you were very inspired from it!
“Turning back is not really an option.”
Booya!
xo
Danielle
Thanks Teresa! Sell Your Soul was absolutely life changing for me. And, even though I have a huge knot in the pit of my gut, i am resolved to keep moving onward & upward… (yikes)
Danielle, you are one of my Sheroes! Thanks for checking out my blog. One day I hope to be as inspiring to others as you have been to me.
Thanks David. SOOOOOO needed to hear that today…you have no idea.
Sorry we didn’t connect in person at SYS. Next time.
Lara, I am so glad that this helped. It helped me to write it.
As we all move forward in our own Hero’s Journey, we can help each other to remember why we are on the path in the first place. Glad we are connecting here, even if we didn’t have a chance to connect at SYS.
[...] to the feelings of fear and discomfort I talk about when I go outside of my Comfort Zone, or I’m being tested in “the Belly of the Whale” on my personal Hero’s Journey—I actually feel intuitively “right” when I’m on the right [...]
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