Rising from the Ashes.

There’s a certain fantasy-inspired idea from Marvel’s Phoenix. The Phoenix has died one too many times in the Marvel universe, and oftentimes, the Phoenix is seen collecting its various pieces (thoughts, parts, etc.) across the universe. For people who dwell more on the fantasy, the concept is seemingly ideal, even a tad perfect.

Struggles, however, are not similar in the comic books where heroes face insurmountable odds and still win in the end. The theory is, struggles should be expected and recognized, particularly those that provide you with a dose of experience you need. Sometimes, however, the problem lies when one attempts to prove himself or his self worth. In the process of finding the proverbial road, one realizes that the road is either inexistent, or the process tedious. To pit oneself against the teeming humanity is already forbidding. Struggling for something one is not even sure of is just suicidal.

The idea of knowing oneself better is always a desirable opportunity for many people. A harrowing experience, which concept is entirely dependent on one’s standards, could be a test to one’s limits and capabilities. It could show how a person can go far or low without the help of anybody else’s. It sometimes stretches one’s imagination and knack, and in the process, makes him more invincible.

Some people argue that one should have at least one harrowing experience to turn them around, to get them into thinking more about themselves and how they cope with situations. It is an avenue to build character, and makes one realize that he is made of sterner stuff than he is aware of. Oftentimes too, it becomes a roadmap of one’s curious self and the adventures (or misadventures) that lie within.

Others though are perfectly content with where they are at the moment. For them, it’s already a daily struggle to maintain their disposition and not give in to anger, bitterness, or cynicism. Quitting would mean a freefall until reaching rock bottom. Clawing all the way to the top would be an exercise in madness since there might not be enough guideposts to begin with.

If you ask me personally, I am not “willing” to let myself sink to depths that I can’t survive. I've always thought that it’s precisely the struggle to stay afloat that defines who I am. There are times that I may not be completely content with who I am, but I like even less the probability of becoming worse than I currently am. Besides, I do enough sinking just by gravity and inertia as it is. No need to speed things up.

There, I think I’ve strangled enough metaphors and Marvel references for one day.