There’s a moment in Game of Thrones where old Maester Aemon says the following to Jon Snow.
Kill the boy and let the man be born.
I think that death is an accurate analogy for fundamental personal transformation for a few reasons. For one, it’s easy to get stuck in the past and the part of you that can’t let go of what once was, is stuck in a void. It’s lifeless and incapable of transcendence.
I know from my own experience that the reason I’ve found myself stuck in the past was because there was something that I hadn’t processed and there were lessons that I had not learned. I tried hard to avoid going back and facing those memories because I was afraid of the truth that I’d have to uncover.
Heed the sirens, take shelter, my lover
Flee the fire that devours
But the sight held me fixed
Like a bayonet against my throat.— The Oh Hellos, Pale White Horse
The other reason why death is an accurate analogy is because nobody wants to die. Death is painful. It’s full of grief, sorrow and every part of you will fight hard against it. There’s beliefs that I’ve held onto so tightly that the only way to pry them off me was from the grip of a dead hand.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that personal transformation isn’t always a fun and blissful state down a joyful path of self discovery and wonder. It can be a dark and perilous journey where you have to be willing to face personal demons along the way.
Anyway, that’s all for now.
qsma music 