When Life writes our Story

It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure. 

(Joseph Campbell)

Within the group I worked for we used to rotate the responsibility to write up the findings about markets and the global economy. Important as this work was, everyone seemed to hate it. Our group was as diverse as could be, and most of the time the different experts used to disagree with each other. So it was no surprise that the outcomes of these reports fluctuated wildly dependent on who authored the report at the time. I found that process annoying and one day simply volunteered to simply take it over for good. Little did I know what exactly I had signed up for!

The first years into the writing process felt like hell. I am not an English native speaker so I had to rely on the edits of others, which was truly painful. I remember my first report in this process vividly. I got five ‘constructive’ suggestions and they all contradicted each other. It was like walking through a minefield. I stuck with the mission though, not knowing exactly where the will-power came from. First I thought it was mere obstinacy but later it dawned on me that writing would become a life mission of sorts. Sure enough, soon things got much better. Feedbacks suddenly started to make sense and would even complement each other. The product got better all the time. Then a few years later into the process the publication became our firm’s flagship product and I had professional editors assigned to me, raising the bar on the product yet again. Professionally, I felt a true sense of accomplishment. 

Today I have become a spiritual author and I now understand what all these learning years of writing, editing and marketing were all about. Today I know that destiny was calling when I decided to bite the bullet and take on the mission impossible. I would echo what Joseph Campbell has observed as well, sometimes staring into the abyss is exactly what life’s mission is all about. Don’t get discouraged just because it is an uphill struggle. The initial hurdles are merely our own fears raising their ugly heads. Soon a downhill journey starts that builds on itself.  Isn’t that what life’s purpose is all about? How is your life story going? Can you already see how all the dots connect along the Way?